Between Life and Eternity
by CyberDracomon
Summary: The sequel to The Greatest Power. TK and Kari find themselves facing an enemy who cannot die, and a Digidestined willing to kill. Meanwhile something happens to Kari that will test their relationship in the worst way. Takari PataGato (2-18: Ch3 now up)
1. The Enemy's Faces

Between Life and Eternity

By CyberDracomon, King of Takari

Chapter 1 - The Enemy's Faces

(Author's Note: This is a very long overdue sequel to The Greatest Power, my very first Digimon fanfic. If you haven't read it don't worry, I wouldn't make a new story that made you go read my oldest one. You'll be able to read this one whether you've read Greatest Power or not, but I will be referencing the fic as I go, I'll try to make it easy on readers that missed the original. TK and Kari are both 16 in this fanfic, 4 years after The Greatest Power. Also since the ending to 02 stunk, we'll ignore it for the sake of this fanfic. So with all that said, please read, review, and most importantly enjoy!)

* * *

Odaiba, Japan. A relatively small city that has seen more bizarre occurrences than most cities in sci-fi movies. Everything from giant parrots and dinosaurs fighting, to a giant mutated vampire, to monsters of every shape and size that only certain people could see. For such strange events it's hard to believe all of these were contained by a group of children with monsters of their own.

Takeru Takaishi, otherwise known as TK to his friends and family, was, and still is, one of those children. Grown into a teenager now, the 16 year old child of hope has grown so much faster mentally than physically, matured through trials and tribulations in a world of monsters and data that exists within our own technology and parallel to our own reality. He has matured so much that he was as young as twelve when he first discovered true love, and though TK was young, destiny has a way of making such things unimportant. This love had remained for the past four years and proven itself more than just a grade school crush or common puppy love. It was this same love that now filled his mind as he stood in front of the door of the Kamiya apartment nervously. They had arranged a casual date, TK wasn't wearing anything fancier than one of his favorite green and yellow shirts and a pair of khaki pants to go with it. Despite countless dates and just general hanging out with Kari there was always a hint of nervousness at times like these. TK shrugged the feeling off and raised his hand to the doorbell, giving it his usual double ring, letting Kari know it was him.

A moment passed before the door opened, the familiar sight of Kari Kamiya smiling out at him greeting him behind. In the last four years she had grown into a beautiful young girl, intelligent and vibrant. Her fashion had changed as much as TK's, though, she still wore pink and white, in this case as a light pink shirt that came off the shoulders with a white tank top under, with a darker pink as the color of her skirt. Her hairstyle wasn't changed much, either, still letting her brown bangs hand down the sides of her head, though her hair was a bit longer now all the way around.

"About time, Patamon beat you here by a good twenty minutes." Kari said jokingly. TK chuckled slightly, now returning the smile the smile that Kari greeted him with.

"Right, so it's my fault that he's the only one with wings?" He replied, still smiling. Kari giggled herself, stepping a bit closer to wrap both arms around TK's neck in a loving embrace. TK returned it, embracing her around the waist. It was the typical greeting down to the letter, neither of them bored or it and deciding it was better than a simple hello. The two let go, both still smiling.

"Come on in, I'm almost ready." Kari said, turning back inside and giving TK room to follow. "Patamon and Gatomon are in the living room, they've been on my brother's old game machine since Patamon got here." TK followed after her as she stepped through the Kamiya apartment, same as it ever was, with the exception of Tai's missing belongings, long since moved out. He followed Kari until they reached the living room, letting her walk on and back to her room to finish getting ready.

TK's attention turned to the two Digimon sitting on the floor in front of a large TV, a white cat and an orange hamster with wings. They were playing a race game on a video game system, obviously not the newest, the graphics were too blocky. Watching them play TK noticed Gatomon's gloves were off, the only way she could hold the controller. Patamon, on the other hand, was having trouble using the controller with his much smaller hands, he had resorted to using his wings for the buttons on top of the controller.

"One more race for me!" Gatomon shouted in victory as her car crossed the finish line, a flashy "1st" appearing on her half of the screen. Patamon fell backwards, his wings flattening on the ground as he did, apparently tired from making up for his small fingers. His eyes were closed like he was exhausted from the effort, he had yet to see TK standing behind him.

"This still isn't fair..." He said half-heartedly. Gatomon turned from the television screen, putting the controller down as she did, glancing at the worn-out form of the orange Digimon beside her.

"Why not?" She asked, somewhat disheartened herself. "I had the worst car in the game." Patamon sat up, wings still sagging, and turned to Gatomon, raising his forepaws up for her to see.

"You had thumbs." He said with a joking smile. "You try playing with paws meant for standing on and see how well you do." Gatomon smiled at the joke, then the smile turned to a smirk as her tail came around, the end coming to a rest on his forehead. Gatomon gave him a playful push with it, just enough to knock him on his back again.

"Always an excuse..." She sighed playfully. "It's your turn to pick a game, anyway, just make sure it doesn't need so many buttons." Patamon let out a frustrated moan, they all needed a lot of buttons... Though it didn't really matter, in all honesty he was having as much fun as if he was winning. The orange Digimon shifted his eyes up, just now noticing TK standing behind them, watching their playful squabble.

"Oh, TK!" Patamon chirped, still on his back. "How long have you been there?" TK smiled down at his Digimon partner, trying not to laugh at the scene he just saw.

"Long enough to know I need to get you two a game that's a little more fair." He replied. Patamon rolled over onto his four legs, then up onto his back legs, standing with his wings just now lifted. He turned back to Gatomon, who had already taken the game disc out of the console to put in whatever Patamon picked.

"Alright, put in a puzzle game, those can't possibly need that many buttons." He said, taking his place at his controller again. Gatomon shrugged and moved to the game rack to find the game, not bothering to mention he just challenged a girl with a cat's reflexes to a game of timing...

TK's attention turned back to the hallway's entrance as the sound of footsteps began to come from it. Kari reemerged, looking no different aside from a small purse now hanging from her left shoulder, and still smiling. She glanced over at Patamon and Gatomon, now settling in for the next game, before rejoining TK.

"It's still odd." Kari said, drawing a look of curiosity from TK. "A few years ago I wondered why my brother wanted to go out with Sora so often, and now I'm not doing much better than he did with it." TK chuckled a bit, remembering her mention that a few months back, as well.

"Hey, some of us don't have a problem about it." He joked back, now drawing a giggle from Kari. "We should get going, streets are crowded today, we might be late to the theater." TK had this planned well as usual, first was the movie theater, then dinner, then a walk through the park on the way home. It was a date they had been on probably a thousand times but they never got tired of it. They walked between points, it wasn't that neither had the option of driving, it just gave them an excuse to be together longer.

Before they got to the door, the couple was stopped by a sudden loud beeping coming from deeper in the apartment, specifically Kari's room. It was familiar to both of them, as well as their Digimon, who paused their game as they heard it. It was Kari's D-Terminal, giving off an alert of some kind, and seeing how they weren't in the Digital World, it could only be an e-mail, of some importance to come in through the personal device. TK glanced over to Kari, who was already looking at him for his reaction, his eyes showing his desire to leave the message be and start their date. Kari, on the other hand, wasn't the kind to do that.

"...Sorry, it'll only be a minute." She said regretfully, turning away from TK and heading back to her room. "It's probably just my brother, I'll reply when I get home." With that she vanished down the hallway a second time, leaving TK waiting again by the door to wonder when this date would even begin. Patamon and Gatomon stood from their spots on the carpet and moved to the sofa near TK, hopping up onto the cushions and then onto the top of the piece of furniture.

"Hey, TK...?" Patamon asked cautiously, drawing the teenager's attention. There was a slight nervous shake to Patamon's voice that TK picked up on. "With your permission, if we get hungry while you're out... can I digivolve so we can order out for pizza? We can play music and say it's a costume party when the delivery guy comes!" TK had heard this before, problem being last time it was after they had done it.

"Patamon, last time you did that, you forgot about your staff as Angemon." TK reminded him. "When we got home Kari had to explain to the family upstairs why a gold pole made a hole in their floor." Patamon smiled sheepishly, glancing away. He had hoped TK forgot that little incident, but he figured he hadn't, he did spend the better part of the next day helping to repair it. The orange Digimon flapped his wings, giving him enough lift to make it to TK's shoulder and put his face right up to TK's ear.

"Please, just this once." Patamon whispered, barely loud enough for TK to hear even with the Digimon right in his ear. "I promised Gatomon I'd try to eat things she liked, so we can share a meal sometime. Anchovy pizza's about the only thing we both go for so far." Well that explained it, the request and the whispering, he didn't want Gatomon to hear his intentions. The two Digimon were as much in love as TK and Kari were, and were actually a couple months before their human partners. It didn't come as a surprise to TK that his Digimon friend was still trying to impress Gatomon.

"...Just be careful when you digivolve this time." TK said with a smile, giving Patamon permission. Patamon smiled back and took to the air again, this time landing back onto the top of the sofa to rejoin Gatomon, who couldn't help but wonder what he said to get TK to change his mind.

TK turned his attention back to the hallway just in time to see Kari reemerge from it, her footsteps unheard this time passed Patamon's request. She was looking down at her D-Terminal as she approached them, her expression more confused now, but also some regret. TK could already tell whatever e-mail she had gotten just canceled their date.

"I'm not sure you guys are going to believe this." She said, glancing up at TK and their Digimon, now turning their attention to her. "The e-mail is from the Digital World, but it's not from anyone we know. The D-Terminal can't even tell how it got the message." That part confused TK as much as it did Kari. Nobody in the Digital World was supposed to have a way to contact them unless it was someone who knew them, like Gennai or Azulongmon.

"What did the e-mail say?" TK asked. Kari held out the open device to the teenage boy, who took it in his own hands, turning it around to read what was on the screen. "To the Digidestined. I wish to meet you to discuss matters of great importance. The safety of the Digital World may be at great risk. Coordinates included." TK skipped reading the digits that made the coordinates and looked back up at Kari, then to the two Digimon, now as confused as the two humans.

"Guess they're not picky about which Digidestined they get..." Gatomon commented, noticing no names were given in the message. TK glanced back at the message, now seeing she was right in that they didn't seem to know which Digidestined they were contacting.

"It's probably a trap, isn't it?" Patamon said. That had occurred to the others, but it did sound sincere and none of them could think of how any evil being, Digimon or otherwise, could find out how to contact them since only their friends knew how.

"But if it's not, we'll be ignoring something that could be serious." Kari reminded them. "Trap or not, I don't think we can ignore this." That was Kari, everyone before herself, and in this case her sentiment was shared.

"Right, if it's a trap we can deal with it when we get there." TK decided. The others quickly nodded their agreement. Their decision set, Patamon and Gatomon hopped off the couch and down to the floor, bounding off to Kari's room and her computer that held the gateway to the Digital World. TK began to follow the two, then stopped after only a few steps and looked back, realizing Kari hadn't followed after him.

"...Sorry, guess our date's off." Kari said regretfully. She wasn't sure why she was apologizing, she knew she wasn't at fault, never the less the words had to be said.

"You make it sound like it's your fault the Digital World's in trouble." TK joked. "Don't worry about it, with any luck this will be a quick job and we can get home in time to do something." Kari's smile returned as he said that, the same smile TK had seen a thousand times, but it made him feel fine about their plans falling out. He turned to follow after the Digimon again, this time Kari came quickly behind him.

* * *

The group arrived back in the all-too familiar surroundings of the Digital World's vast plains. Thought TK and Kari had spent enough time here to call it a second home, it always felt alien to them. The colors were a bit more vivid than their world, the sounds were smoother without any roughness, and somehow the air didn't smell real, as if it wasn't even there. It was just after noon in the real world, thus here it was the same time, the digital sun beaming brightly overhead, illuminating the vast greenery of the plains and revealing the various colors of flowers peeking through the foot-tall grass. TK glanced around for whomever contacted them and told them to come to this point, but it was just the four of them, standing in front of the monitor that had brought them there from the real world.

"I don't suppose the e-mail mentioned a time of some sort?" Patamon asked. TK shook his head in response, recalling the message in his head just in case it had. No, he was sure it just said where to come to meet this mysterious helper.

"All we can do is wait, I guess." Kari replied, still glancing around herself. "They should be here eventually." Should wasn't the most comforting word. Their concern was that this was a trap and the longer they waited the lower their defenses would be. Still Kari was right, it was their only option.

The wait didn't take as long as they had feared. It had barely been ten minutes when they realized they weren't alone any longer. A few yards away, amidst the tall blades of grass, a small round shadow appeared on the ground, expanding outward. It soon stopped growing, and a moment later a Digimon started to rise out of it. First came his head, mostly bald save for a black ponytail that sprouted from the back of his skull. It was covered with small purple scales, some cracked, showing their fragility, and featured no noticeable ears. He sported two horns at the top of his forehead, his right curved in the middle, then curved again the opposite way just before the point. His left looked cut off at the base and was partially covered by the strap of a thick studded leather eye patch that covered his right eye. The rest of him as it emerged was covered in a long black trench coat, high in the shoulders with two leather straps fastened around each bicep of the sleeves. Though it was closed tight it was hard to tell how it was kept that way. The last of him emerged where the bottom of his coat was flared around like tendrils, moving as if it was alive. They also noticed this Digimon had no feet on the ground, he must be floating. The shadow closed again as the Digimon finished his entrance, standing at least seven feet tall, lightly smiling down at them, a fang tooth hanging from the left side of his lips.

"I hadn't expected the most distinguished of the Digidestined to answer my request..." He said. His voice sounded haggard, somewhat weak, but rung with intelligence as well. The Digidestined and their Digimon watched on cautiously, all realizing they had had less wicked looking Digimon as enemies before.

"So... you were the one that sent the e-mail?" Patamon asked, confusion obvious in his voice. The tall Digimon glanced down at the orange hamster, as if wondering if he really asked about what he had just confirmed. Still, it wasn't an angered look, more or less one of puzzlement.

"I imagine I wasn't the type of Digimon you anticipated meeting..." He said, returning his gaze to the whole group. "Yes, it was I. Your friend Leomon informed me on how to use these monitor devices to contact you." It was hard to tell if he was honest or not, his gaze gave nothing away. The fact that he had only one eye wasn't helping the matter.

"So how are we supposed to know you're telling the truth?" Kari asked. "How do we know this isn't a trap?" TK jumped slightly, turning to look at Kari, surprised she would tip off their suspicions so readily. Still, this Digimon hadn't shown any signs that it was a trap, maybe Kari was trying to draw it out.

"My dear child, I assure you, I pose no threat to you." The Digimon said calmly. Though he sounded sincere, and his expression gave no signs of mistrust, the group of Digidestined failed to be convinced.

"Sorry, but we've seen a lot of nasty Digimon that shared your... 'features'." Gatomon said. "It's just not an appearance that inspires trust." The coated Digimon closed his good eye and sighed, appearing disheartened.

"Not every virus Digimon is so loathsome..." He breathed, now reaching up with his right arm, grabbing hold of the loose inside edge of his coat. "If I must be more descript, very well..." With that he tugged at the coat, breaking whatever devices held it closed. The coat pulled away from around his body, flapping with the motion of the hard pull, until it was free enough to toss to the side, letting it drift onto the ground.

The sight of the Digimon without the trench coat was disturbing to say the least, even worse for Patamon and Gatomon, both cringing quickly. It was all TK and Kari could do to not look away. The purple Digimon stood there with literally half a body. Aside from his head missing a horn, an eye, and a fang, his left arm was gone below the elbow, as well as his left leg below the knee, making him need to levitate to make up for the missing appendage. Another short limb that seemed to be on his lower back wavered around into view, apparently a missing tail. Behind his shoulders were also smaller appendages that looked like where wings would go. His body was covered in dry, brittle scales, cracking and breaking off around his major joints from the sudden motion used to remove the coat. What parts this Digimon did have were in odd proportion, his leg and torso were scrawny, barely muscular. His good arm was the same until the elbow where it gave way to a large forearm with blade-like fins and a four-fingered hand, thin and clawed. From all these removed appendages, besides his horn and fang, digital bits seemed to trickle like human blood would, in slow, endless streams that faded out as they went too far from his body.

"As I said." He finally continued. "If my intentions were in any way malicious, I could hardly do much to defend any retaliation you may have. This is why I needed your assistance, I am in poor condition to do much myself." TK and Kari recovered from the initial shock of the Digimon's appearance, now glancing back at him, though the adjustment was much greater for Patamon and Gatomon to make.

"Okay, if you are serious..." TK began, finally breaking his silence. "Why so secretive? We don't even know your name." The Digimon's glance focused on TK now, shaking his head to dismiss the question.

"You mistake my intentions." He said. "It is not secretive, but urgency. My delay in coming here was caused by what I brought you here for. To the north is a settlement of Koromon and Agumon who are about to be invaded by a rather odd Digimon I could not identify. I tried to stop it but was only injured in my attempt." TK and Patamon remembered the Koromon village from their original trip, it was around here, at least that was true. It was also what they were afraid of, an immediate danger they couldn't ignore, trap or not.

"...If it's so urgent, we'll check it out." TK said sternly. "When we're done I want more out of you than an e-mail, though." The Digimon nodded and stepped back, giving them room to leave for the village. TK and Kari gave each other a quick glance, a check to see if they were on the same page. Confident they were, they did the same with Patamon and Gatomon, both looking ready. The two human teens removed their Digivices from the sides of their belts and brought them forward, pressing a button on the corner of them with their thumb. A stylized egg appeared on both Digivices, casting an ancient light that soon also appeared around Patamon and Gatomon.

"Patamon Armor-Digivolve to..." The familiar words echoed slightly as Patamon felt the influence of the Digiegg of Hope take over. His body grew, his limbs stretched and became muscular, and thick plates of armor formed around his lower legs, chest, and head.

"Gatomon Armor-Digivolve to..." Gatomon's own digivolution was much the same, except using the Digiegg of Light. Her body stretched out and she fell to all fours as her gloves and paws became heavy, now looking closer to gauntlets. The same armor formed around her chest and head, all Egyptian in design.

"Pegasusmon, flying hope!" Patamon's evolution ended with the emergence of two powerful feathered wings from his back and a change of voice, now sounding almost like he did as Angemon.

"Nefertimon, the wings of light!" Such wings also appeared for Gatomon, the same as Pegasusmon's, and she also sounded different, a deeper version of her voice as Angewomon. Despite having armor digivolved so often the forms never failed to seem alien to the two Digimon, their forms were just bigger versions of their main forms but with a lot of armor.

TK and Kari wasted little time and took hold of the armor on their partner's backs, pulling up to ride on them. Once they were sure TK and Kari had a good grip, Pegasusmon and Nefertimon turned to the north and charged ahead, getting up some speed before taking to the air, letting their wings take over as they caught the air.

"Keep safe, my friends!" The mysterious Digimon called after. He kept watching until their northward flight took them out of view, then exited himself, fading into a large wisp of smoke that faded away into the air. There was nothing left for him to do but wait and see what unfolded, to see if going to this trouble was worth it...

* * *

Ten minutes of flight had yet to bring them to the Koromon village. It had been a long time since TK had been there, but even then it seemed like it should have been closer than this. Maybe the big reformatting after Apocalymon had changed more than he thought. Regardless, the longer the flight went, the more all four of them started to doubt their new assistant.

"Pegasusmon, do you know how much farther it is?" TK asked, hoping his partner's memory was better than his own. Unfortunately it wasn't, though that was from the change in landmarks and the fact he never saw this area from the air before.

"No, I don't recognize the area from here..." Pegasusmon admitted. "It shouldn't be much farther if it took our informant this long to make it to us from there." TK had forgotten that part, he wasn't sure how fast their informer was but they should still be about in the same range.

"Look, to the west!" Nefertimon shouted, drawing the others to look that way. Off in the distance near a thick digital forest, a few small plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the air. With nothing but plains and forest in every other direction, it made their search simple.

"Seems he might have told the truth after all..." TK said under his breath. "Be careful, we don't know what's causing this." With that Pegasusmon and Nefertimon turned and flew toward the thickening smoke, their pace faster than before.

A few short minutes brought them to the edge of the small settlement where the two Digimon landed, literally hitting the ground running toward the center of the town where the smoke was coming from. The small town was made of stone, dome-shaped structures, each big enough for several Koromon, the homes divided by dirt paths suited for even large Digimon. Closer to the center of town the buildings were taller, just big enough to keep from seeing passed, though the dome shape gave way to more typical square structures. TK and Kari looked around as their Digimon galloped along through the dirt roads of the village, both noticing that this was the Koromon village, but not a Koromon was in sight. Perhaps they were hiding in the buildings, but at least a few should be in the streets trying to get away.

As they went further in, they started to see where the smoke came from as many of the buildings were slightly damaged, becoming more ruined as they went on. Pegasusmon and Nefertimon turned a corner around a group of taller structures and again to take them into the town's square. There, in the center of town, at least a dozen Koromon, as well as a few Agumon, were doing whatever they could to put up a defense on their attacker, a Digitamamon. This one, however, was strange, almost mutated in appearance. He looked normal enough, but his shell was covered in slightly-curved spikes of varied size, the biggest of which were giving off small charges of raw, black energy, almost like electricity. Though they were in a rush, TK and Kari couldn't help but be impressed by the Koromon and Agumon's courage against their attacker.

Without warning the charges suddenly grew into bolts of the dark energy, firing into the ground below Digitamamon and then outward, scorching the ground as it went in wild, unpredictable paths. The bolts connected with a couple of the Koromon and one of the Agumon, easily deleting them into fading digital particles, before crashing into the surrounding buildings. The bolts ceased, leaving large gashes in the stone buildings and spreading the fires in them that caused all the smoke that still rose from the town.

"Digitamamon, stop!" TK yelled, trying to draw the Digimon's attention to get it to stop. The egg-shaped Digimon spun around, startled, an angry glare in his eyes. Suddenly, though, the eyes inside the gap in Digitamamon's shell widened. It was like it was scared of something suddenly despite obviously being able to defend itself well.

"No... No, keep away!" He yelled, turning back around, now charging down the main street of the town away from them. The Digidestined glanced around, checking to see if the Digimon around them were alright, then darted after Digitamamon, who already had a good lead on them.

The frightened Digimon was erratic in his movements and kept darting down side roads and alleyways, giving Pegasusmon and Nefertimon a challenge just to keep up with him. With every turn he took too close to a building, his spikes would leave gashes in the stone walls of them, showing their strength, but also that he wasn't accustomed to them, but how a Digitamamon could suddenly grow spikes without digivolving eluded them. They came to the east side of the town, the side closest to the forest, when Digitamamon took a turn that stuck him in a dead end, blocked off by the taller dome structures. Nefertimon reached him first, with Pegasusmon close behind.

"We don't want to hurt you, just tell us what happened to you." The sphinx Digimon said in a gentle voice, trying her best to reassure Digitamamon. The calming words fell upon deaf ears as the angry glare returned to the Digimon's eyes.

"No, you're trying to trick me!" It shouted. "It won't work! I won't let you take me back, I won't return to Necromon!!" Before they could react the black charges returned to Digitamamon's spikes, quickly lashing out at the buildings surrounding him. At such close range the buildings crumbled under the immense attack, including the one between the town and the forest, which the egg-shaped Digimon took advantage of. He darted out over the demolished building and toward the trees leading into the woods, with the two Armor Digimon close behind, stopping briefly in the clearing between the town and woods.

"Necromon...?" Kari said, not recognizing that Digimon. She turned to look at TK and Pegasusmon, but both returned her look with the same she now had, confusion. "Let's catch up to him before he does anymore damage." The boys nodded, ignoring this Necromon mystery for now, then charged after Digitamamon, with Kari and Nefertimon right beside them. Whatever had happened to Digitamamon it was making him as fast as it had powerful, the two winged Digimon had to give everything they had just to fly fast enough to keep pace.

A good distance away, just close enough to watch, a teenage boy gazed on from the low branch of a tree just thick enough to hide his presence and shade his details, the only one visible was a Japanese sword dangling from his side. Beside him on the branch was a lizard Digimon with a sail-like flame from the top of his back to his tail, highest over his head, while a second was perched on the boy's right shoulder, this one a bird similar in proportions to a Biyomon, but slightly smaller and male with a long, slender tail.

"Why are we still watching?" The lizard asked, his rough voice dripping with impatience. "They'll screw it up if we let them handle it!" The boy didn't move or respond, still watching the group of Digidestined, just now running out of sight.

"I hate to agree with Chameleamon, but I do." The bird added, a youthful but wise tone to his voice. "They clearly don't know what they're dealing with." This time the boy shook his head, shooting down both of their pleas.

"No, we wait." He said, monotone. "I want to see if they figure it out on their own." With that the teenager knelt down, grabbing onto the branch he stood on to swing down to the ground. Still under the cover of the thick foliage, he began to give chase, the two Digimon giving chase, the lizard by ground, the bird by air.

* * *

The chase continued for quite some time as the sun was starting to go down, an hour away from turning orange and beginning the digital sunset. TK and Kari, still riding their Armor-Digivolved partners, were now amongst the numerous scattered trees and shrubs of one of the Digital World's many thin forests, struggling to keep pace with Digitamamon. Whatever had happened to the egg-shaped Digimon it was making him much faster than he should be with his stubbly legs. His spiky form was still ahead of them, just as fast as Pegasusmon and Nefertimon were at full speed.

They caught a break as the woods started to thicken into a forest, the extra dodging forcing Digitamamon to slow down a bit. Pegasusmon and Nefertimon moved up in their flight, over the trees where dodging them was no longer an issue, continuing the chase there. Above the trees the group of Digidestined could see where Digitamamon would end up soon, the trees thickened until they reached the side of a large cliff emerging from the ground, too high for Digitamamon to get over. There was a half-circle clearing against the large stone hill, right in the spot Digitamamon was running for and the chase became as easy as waiting for him to reach it. Kari pointed Nefertimon down into the forest behind Digitamamon, where she flew down to resume the chase on the ground. TK understood and kept Pegasusmon just above the trees near the gap, waiting for his cue.

It eventually happened, the egg-shaped Digimon emerged from the thinnest part of the thick forest and into the clearing, with Nefertimon quickly behind him. He tried turning around and heading back, only to meet the sphinx Digimon face to face. Digitamamon turned and headed for another side of the three-sided clearing, trying to retreat to the forest. This was the cue, TK and Pegasusmon swooped down and quickly landed between the Digimon and the trees, preventing his escape. The egg Digimon turned and headed for the third side, the last unprotected one, only to have Nefertimon dart from her side to intercept his path again. Growing frustrated, Digitamamon headed for the path Nefertimon just left open, this time intercepted by a quicker Pegasusmon.

"Stop running, we're trying to help you!" TK finally shouted to the Digimon. He glared through the gap in his eggshell, slowly backing away from TK. He recognized the look from the first time they dealt with Digitamamon. By nature he tried deception and escape before anything else, but now he was cornered, he was going to attack.

"No! I won't go back, I refuse to go back!" He screamed, his acquired talons beginning to glow with a dark aura. Without warning they suddenly lashed out with the same dark bolts of wild energy that did so much damage to the Koromon village. The bolt ripped along the ground before lashing up toward Pegasusmon, barely giving him time to dodge the blast. It streaked passed him and into the dense trees, an explosion heard from somewhere deeper in from the inevitable impact.

"TK, Kari, get off, leave this to us." Nefertimon said quickly. TK and Kari did as instructed and dismounted, freeing both Digimon to take to the air to become more aggressive. The two Digidestined hated this part, they felt helpless standing aside for cover while their partners did the fighting.

Digitamamon's horns still crackled with the raw black energy, it almost looked eager to lash out and strike. The next bolt tore across the ground briefly before turning up and taking aim at Nefertimon.

"Rosetta Stone!" A column of pink light came from Nefertimon's back and quickly launched a tombstone-shaped rock forward. The stone projectile struck the black energy with a powerful blast, canceling both attacks out and leaving just a quickly fading dust cloud. Digitamamon turned his attention back to Pegasusmon, the black energy still crackling between his spikes.

"You don't get it, I don't want to go back, I can't go back!" He screamed again, sounding more desperate than before. Without warning a black mass lunged forth from the gap in his shell, complete with eyes, mouth, and claws. That was Nightmare Syndrome, his best attack, but it came without warning and now was lunging at Pegasusmon.

"Equus Beam!" The triangle-shaped crest on Pegasusmon's helmet suddenly shot forth a bright green beam into the blackness approaching him, barely in time before it would have reached him. The blackness dissolved away as the beam continued to fire, slowly tearing through the mass until it reached Digitamamon, knocking him backwards a few yards toward the stone wall behind him. What black mass remained slithered back into it's shell, his eye's reappearing, showing how dazed he was from the attack.

Nefertimon wasted little time and darted around to Digitamamon's front, lunging head-on into him, her massive front paws forward. The drop kick hit with enough force to throw Digitamamon backwards into the stone, his spikes piercing into the rock face. His eyes now dazed even further, Digitamamon kicked forward to pull away from the wall, only to find he couldn't. He regained his senses as a sense of dread sunk in, his kicking becoming more frantic, but ultimately not helping him.

"Pegasusmon!" TK shouted upwards. "Aim for his spikes, see if you can get rid of them with a Star Shower!" He didn't like ordering Patamon around in any of his forms but at this rate Digitamamon would get deleted before he got helped. Pegasusmon swooped down closer, taking careful aim.

"Star Shower!" With one strong flap Pegasusmon dropped a small rain of star-shaped energy blasts down onto Digitamamon, each connecting with one of the strange spikes sticking out of his shell, making them burst into black pixels. The success lasted a mere moment as the pixels stopped in midair, then slowly returned, all of them reforming the same spikes they made up before.

"...What was that?" Kari asked, not expecting an answer. She and TK stepped closer, feeling it was safe with Digitamamon trapped, just now getting a good look at the spikes that just reformed after getting destroyed. Up close, they didn't even look like spikes, more like the talons you'd see on a dinosaur. Nefertimon and Pegasusmon landed behind their human partners, Nefertimon now in front of Digitamamon.

"Cat's Eye Beam!" The ornament on Nefertimon's helmet began glowing red before two narrow beams fired forth from it's eyes. The sphinx Digimon was careful with the shot, tracking them over the spikes, destroying them one by one, only to have them regenerate the same way. Nefertimon kept it up for a good minute, destroying the same spikes three or four times with the same results.

"What kind of digital data can reform itself so easily?" TK asked, another question with no answer any of them could figure out. Nefertimon and Pegasusmon took on a gold glow as both of them reverted to Patamon and Gatomon, both exhausted from not only the fight, but such a long chase as well.

"Please, just let me go..." Digitamamon begged. "I'll do anything, just don't send me back to Necromon..." There was that name again, whoever Necromon was, Digitamamon was horrified of him. Maybe that's who did this to him? Then why would he be so paranoid of anyone coming to bring him back to him?

"Okay, amateurs!" A voice called from the trees, drawing the attention away from Digitamamon. "You've played around enough, leave him to me." The owner of the voice emerged from the trees, and to the surprise of the Digidestined, it was a human. A male teenager, specifically, no older than TK, with blue eyes and short brown hair that was up in short, messy spikes. He was dressed in a red and black jacket, unzipped with a dark grey shirt underneath. Below the waist he wore plain blue jeans and black belt and sneakers, the only notable thing being the old-styled Digivice on his right side and the Japanese katana hanging from his left. The whole outfit looked slightly tattered, like it was all he had worn for years. On the ground to his sides were two Digimon. To his left was a red-scaled male lizard, with a sail of flames from his head to where his tail began, wearing a slightly mean expression on his face. On his right was a male bird Digimon, in the same proportions as a Biyomon or Hawkmon, with yellow feathers with red tips. Most notable, however, was what looked like a lion's tail where his tail feathers should be.

"And who are you?" Kari asked, the question being inevitable. "And since you sound like you know, what's happened to this Digitamamon?" He seemed to ignore the question for now and stepped closer, both Digimon to his sides following after. His stare was focused on Digitamamon, still stuck to the rock face by his own spikes, though none of them could tell what the stare was for.

"He's possessed, that's what happened to him." The boy answered, ignoring the first part of her question. "I'm just here to wipe out the infection." TK didn't like the tone of this newcomer's voice, something about it seemed off. Still, it sounded calm, whatever was wrong with Digitamamon he wasn't worried about it.

"Possessed?" Patamon asked, now looking back at Digitamamon. "So all this time it's been those spikes doing the talking?" The boy stopped to glance at the hamster Digimon briefly, then continued walking, stepping through the group unabated.

"I guess you could say that, yeah..." He responded. The boy's progress stopped when he was just a few feet from Digitamamon, who was now glaring back at him, the fear in his eyes growing again.

"No, get away!" Digitamamon screamed, now a frightened tone to his voice. "You're not taking me back to Necromon!!" The boy's stare became a glare. His right hand reached over to the handle of his sword, gripping it tightly.

"You're right, I'm not." He replied coldly. In one motion no slower than a blink his sword was drawn and pulled back. Before any of them could stop it the blade lunged forth and into the mass of black between Digitamamon's eyes, a sudden scream erupting from the gap in his shell. The Digimon's form started to distort, like the image on a buggy television screen, then burst into digital bits. These, however, fell downward and sunk into the ground, with the only particles rising into the air was a small group of black pixels that were the spikes that quickly faded from sight.

There was a chilling silence in the air as the last of the pixels that was Digitamamon sank downward and vanished. What had he just done? When a Digimon was destroyed their bits went upward, back to Primary Village to be reborn. The same thought passed all their minds but it was dismissed, a Digimon wasn't supposed to be able to die, nor was a Digidestined supposed to be able to kill.

"...Okay, cut the mystery man routine." TK finally said. "I want to know who you are and what you just did, now." There was a stern tone to TK's voice that Kari wasn't sure she ever heard from him before. A quiet moment passed, the boy not answering, TK not pushing for him to speak, both waiting to see who would give first.

"...The name is Alex Ryuujin." The boy finally said. He turned his head just enough to cast a glare at the two Digidestined as he replaced his sword into it's sheath, a quiet sound of the two pieces of metal gliding against each other penetrating the air as he did. "As for what I did... It's called deletion. Don't tell me you never heard of it..." Kari was still watching on speechless, more surprised by the cold tone to this boy's voice than the action.

"That wasn't any kind of deletion I know of..." TK said, anger now present in his voice along with the confusion. "A Digimon's bits are supposed to fly up and return to Primary Village, not fall and sink into the ground." Alex's glare sharpened slightly. He drew the sword again, but only part of the way, enough to show the two-tone piece of metal that made the blade.

"See that dark strip?" He asked sharply. "Ferrite-boron super-magnet. Anything digital cut by this doesn't come back. It's the only way to kill the infection." The group of Digidestined were left speechless. It was true, this supposed Digidestined had just killed a Digimon. While the act left TK and Kari shocked, their Digimon partners were as angry as they were horrified.

"...That's supposed to justify murder?!" Gatomon screamed, not as shy as the others to let her fury out. "Digitamamon was possessed, he was innocent!" Alex's glare turned to the feline Digimon. The hand holding his sword's handle tensed up, as if considering lashing out at Gatomon with it. Before he could finish thinking about it, the bird Digimon accompanying him flew around and in front of Alex, stopping him.

"Alex, that's enough!" It chirped in it's young voice. "They don't understand yet, let's just go..." Alex stared on at the Digimon, his glare fading somewhat. After a tense moment the sword returned completely to it's sheath with a metallic click.

"Fine, Aeromon..." He said, reaching out and taking Aeromon out of the air and into his arms. His attention returned to TK and Kari, his glare briefly returning. "Just stay out of my way, this is my battle... I won't be so friendly if we meet this way again." With that he turned away from them, Aeromon still in his arms, and walked off back into the thinned path through the thick forest. Chameleamon scampered after him, latching onto his moving leg and quickly up to his shoulder just before the three disappeared in the thick foliage, leaving the four remaining Digidestined in a shock of disbelief.

Elsewhere, the black particles from Necromon's destroyed pieces floated through the air, like a small swarm of gnats drawn to the same spot. Now quite some distance away from where it's host was destroyed, it's goal was a plateau where a humanoid Digimon hovered, watching the progress of the particles as they approached. Once only a few yards away, the particles started to remerge, forming a black mass of digital data that landed just in front of the Digimon. The blob of energy flattened out and slid across the rock, disappearing under the outfit of the Digimon. After a moment he smiled slightly as he ceased his floating, setting his right foot back onto the ground, followed by his left, flexing it's toes a bit, the talons on each toe scratching into the stone beneath them.

* * *

There was a shocked silence still in the air as the Digidestined returned toward the monitor to return home. The sun was setting in the Digital World, casting an orange light across the plains that set an eerie mood to end this day on. The group was just coming to terms with what they just encountered, a Digidestined willing to kill with little or no remorse, it wasn't supposed to be possible. If his actions weren't mystery enough, they also didn't know how he could have two different Digimon partners, nothing about him made sense as a Digidestined.

"So not only do we have something putting these evil parts into Digimon, we have a Digidestined acting like the next Digimon Emperor." Patamon said, his quick analysis finally breaking the silence. That was the impression the others had gotten at first, their original look at an evil Digidestined gave them Ken.

"No, he's different..." Kari replied. "He doesn't think what he's doing is evil, that's just how we look at it... His version of doing good is just... twisted." She had to fight the urge to use anything better descriptive than that, something the others picked up on. It wasn't in Kari to think of someone, a Digidestined especially, as sadistic or bloodthirsty. It crossed her mind, though, as much as it had crossed everyone else's.

"Evil or not, what he's doing is too cruel to ignore..." TK said, again saying what everyone thought. "Maybe we can look him up in the real world, we might be able to find out about him there." The first unshared thought was a good one, they couldn't track him down or risk waiting for him to appear again, but maybe in the real world he would be a little easier to manage. How hard could it be to find someone who owned a magnetic sword?

The group found themselves back at the small monitor that had dropped them off in the Digital World earlier that day. With their plan set, they wanted to return to their world quickly, TK and Kari already pulling their D-3s free to activate the monitor. Just a few yards away, concealed by the foot-high grass of the plains, a black mass of energy watched on, as if some instinctive curiosity wanted it to watch the group... TK and Kari held their Digivices out to the monitor, the screen casting light on them as it activated. The energy mass lurched a little closer, watching as the light engulfed them, then absorbed them into the monitor. It's opportunity becoming lost, the energy suddenly darted out with an amazing amount of speed, landing on the ground in front of the monitor and ricocheting into the gateway of the monitor's screen an instant before it closed.

For this energy mass, crossing the void between real and Digital Worlds was horrifying, all it could see were streams of data passing faster than it could keep up with and, as pure energy data, it could feel itself losing strength the closer it came to the other side. Ahead of it, in the limited vision it had, all it could see in the tunnel with it was four masses of data, being reconfigured into some other form... It had to pick now to survive the transfer... The cat should do. It choose it's target and sprung forward, colliding with one of the masses of data.

TK reemerged in Kari's room, a bit dazed from the transfer. It had been a while since he took one of those trips, he wasn't used to them anymore. He had a few calls to make now, maybe Izzy or Ken would be able to research this Alex character faster than-

Something broke his train of thought. From the corner of his eye he suddenly saw Kari drop to her knees, doubling over with her arms around her midsection, a groaning sound coming from her throat like she was resisting a scream. TK immediately dropped to his knees to her side, checking her. From the outside nothing looked wrong, he wasn't sure what was wrong with her... She let out a scream finally, short but pained, snapping TK out of his fear-induced daze.

"Gatomon, call an ambulance!" TK shouted, not even knowing if Gatomon had come through the gate yet. It was all he could think of, he couldn't leave Kari and Patamon couldn't use the phone as easily. From behind him Gatomon darted around them, heading into the kitchen at full pace to get to the phone there.

"Wait." Kari suddenly said, the pain in her voice noticeable but subsiding. Gatomon stopped just inside the door of Kari's room, turning back to look. "It's okay, it's going away..." Patamon stepped around TK now, glancing at Kari as he moved over to her other side to see better.

"Are you sure?" TK asked, now allowing himself to relax until he was sure. Kari nodded, opening her eyes and looking down to her midsection. No injury, and the pain was already faded, she didn't know what happened...

"Yes, I'm fine..." She said, her eyes still pointed to the floor. "It was so painful, like I was stabbed... then suddenly it stopped and it all passed... Now I feel like nothing happened." Her head turned slightly, her eyes meeting Patamon. The orange Digimon suddenly gasped, now confusing Kari.

"...Kari, I'm not so sure you're fine..." Patamon said, still looking at her oddly. Puzzled, Kari sat up, first glancing at Gatomon, and then to TK, both of which had the same reaction. She was starting to get scared, what was wrong with on, what is it?" Kari pleaded. None of them were sure of what to say, how do they explain it believably? Gatomon reacted first, bounding up to Kari's vanity mirror and retrieving a small hand mirror sitting on it's tabletop. She hopped down and stepped toward Kari, somewhat hesitantly, holding out the handle end of the mirror, face down. Still confused, and growing increasingly worried, Kari took hold of the handle and turned the mirror over as she brought it to her face, glancing at her reflection. There, staring back at her, were her eyes... Her deep, vivid, purple eyes...

End Chapter 1

Next: Chapter 2 - Everliving


	2. Everliving

Between Life and Eternity By CyberDracomon, King of Takari 

Chapter 2 - Everliving

Night fell in the town of Odaiba, Japan. The Kamiya residence had quickly gone from a vacant apartment to as busy as a hospital emergency room, with just about as much concern as one. TK had made his calls as planned, but instead of asking about their new enemy, it was now to help Kari. Joe, Izzy, and Ken had joined them at the Kamiya apartment where Kari was sitting at the dining room table while Joe did his best as a medical student to find what was wrong with her, at least as far as real world medicine could explain. Patamon and Gatomon were on top of the table, trying to keep out of Joe's way without straying away from Kari. TK was on the opposite side of the table with Ken and Izzy, who was toiling away on his laptop, going through his notes about the Digital World as fast as he could. Needless to say, their hopes of a peaceful date tonight were dashed.

"Well, everything checks out..." Joe said as he replaced one of his numerous tools into his front shirt pocket. "It's as if she was born with purple irises, there's no evidence they were ever brown..." Joe's voice run with concern, but also intrigue from the medical mystery before him. Her eyes free again, Kari turned back to look at TK, the worry clear as day in her eyes. TK looked back, just as worried and confused as she was, but he tried to look as reassuring as he could, not wanting Kari to get any worse. He took a quick glance at Izzy, the motion drawing his attention, looking over for some sign of what was going on. The hopeful glance only found a dismal shake of Izzy's head for a reply.

"Sorry, nothing's coming up." Izzy said, somewhat disheartened that he had no better luck than Joe. "Nothing in known medical science can explain it." Ken stood from his seat beside Izzy and moved behind him standing over his shoulder to get a better look at the laptop. To anyone else the scrolling figures and words would seem alien, but Ken didn't seem to have much problem. TK took a glance, as well, not taking long to realize how lost he was in this. He dismissed it and looked back to Joe, who was still looking at Kari's eyes, the doctor's curiosity over a new condition overwhelming.

"There anything else you can do?" TK asked. "Some kind of scan, test, anything?" The others turned their eyes to Joe, as well, all asking for a good answer with just their stare.

"...I could do a blood test, but I doubt it would turn up much." Joe said. "Eye color is a genetic trait, anything that changes them would be at the cellular level, testing that deep would take weeks and get to too many people." In all honesty Joe had considered the option before, but he was still blood-shy, especially if it was one of his friends the blood came from.

"I'm not sure I can stand that long like this..." Kari admitted sadly. Gatomon stood from her seat and stepped closer to her human partner, resting her paws on her shoulders from behind, a gesture of comforting. The feline Digimon could imagine what her partner was worried about, she couldn't go out with purple eyes without everyone on the street looking at her oddly, she couldn't explain it if she ran into any of her friends, and she didn't want to consider how Kari thought of her family seeing it. The only luck was they were out of school for now and she didn't have to worry about showing up for class like this.

"...Maybe we're going about this the wrong way." Ken suddenly said, looking up from Izzy's monitor toward TK. "This happened just as you returned from the Digital World, correct?" TK turned his attention to Ken and nodded.

"Yeah, she collapsed as soon as we left the gate." He said, repeating the story given to them when they were all there. "But she was fine before we entered, and there wasn't anything around us." Ken nodded, thinking it over briefly. He didn't want to admit that he was stumped up until now, with Izzy and his computer there he hadn't been able to contribute much. It took a long moment before something came to him.

"What if it's something that happened during the transfer, like a glitch in the system or a connection problem?" Ken finally continued, then turning his head back to Izzy. "Maybe some other data got mixed into the transfer they didn't know about." Izzy stopped his keyboard tapping and turned to Ken, now realizing the possibility.

"Yes, that might be it..." Izzy said. "The transfer between our world and the Digital World changes humans from DNA to data, if something digital mixed into Kari during the transfer it just might change her genetically." There were a few glances between the others in the room, as if checking that everyone had also just realized that possibility. Everyone's expressions showed the same reaction, it sounded silly, but it was all they had.

"Izzy, would a computer here be able to tell something caused there?" Ken continued. "If Joe took his blood draw from Kari, it would be liquid data in the other world, could your computer tell if there's something different in it's data there?" The thought hadn't occurred to the rest of them. Instinctively TK, Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon turned their eyes to Izzy, the veteran genius, who had the same curious look in his eyes they did.

"Well, I didn't think of that." He admitted. "I suppose it could be possible... I'd have to configure something to scan a blood sample as if it were digital..." The group shifted their eyes back to Ken, as if asking to know if that was possible, but a small shrug was their only response. Still in the middle of the table, Patamon stepped over to the back of Izzy's laptop and stood on hind legs, looking over it at Izzy.

"Well... how long would that take to do?" He asked, the question being on everyone's minds. Izzy hesitated before answering, not sure himself of the answer, he was thinking of what he had that could do a job like that... He glanced up at the orange Digimon now leaning against the back of his laptop, looking on in anticipation...

"Oh, I know!" Izzy said suddenly. "My laptop's old Digimon scanner. I'd have to change the parameters of what my Digivice can scan for and identify but the two combined should do the job." There was a slight sense of relief in the room, from Kari especially. She could probably adjust to purple eyes, the fear was from not knowing what caused it, but hopefully she could find out now.

"Joe, can you take the blood sample?" Izzy continued. "I'll have to get the scan tonight, my computer will probably need all of tomorrow just to process data that complex." Joe nodded and turned to leave the kitchen, going to get his medical bag that had been left by the front door. TK turned his attention back to Kari, reaching over the table to her hand lying on top of it, taking it in his hand. She turned her head to him and smiled slightly, her first since returning from the Digital World.

"Well, my work looks done here." Ken said, standing from his seat. "I'll leave the rest to you guys." He stepped around the table, passed TK and Kari, heading back to the front door himself.

"Ken, hang on." Kari said, stopping the boy's progress and drawing his attention. "There was something else. Today we met a new Digidestined, a guy named Alex Ryuujin... He wasn't like us, though. We saw him literally kill Digitamamon." The announcement drew a surprised look from both Izzy and Ken, the former Digimon Emperor especially taken back. Even at his worst he never went so far.

"Wait, how do you mean kill?" Izzy asked. "A Digimon doesn't die, they just get reformatted." Patamon, still leaning on Izzy's laptop screen, shook his head sadly, almost regretting the answer.

"He was using some sword with a magnet in it." The winged Digimon explained. "He stabbed Digitamamon and made his data break down too badly to return to Primary Village. He did it to stop Digitamamon from attacking a village but he didn't even try anything else first." Izzy's expression turned from surprise to shock, he hadn't even thought of that possibility. Of course it seemed obvious now, a magnet in the Digital World was practically their version of a black hole.

"Problem being, we can't find him in the Digital World." Kari continued. "I was hoping you could look him up here in this world, since all we have is a name and that sword." Ken nodded somewhat, thinking it over quickly.

"Alex Ryuujin..." Ken repeated, making sure he got the name. "The sword might be easier to track, something like that would be one of a kind." Kari nodded, thinking the same. Though he didn't say it, Ken was interested in seeing this new Digidestined for himself, knowing what it was like to be in that grey area between good and evil before.

"Thanks, Ken." Kari said simply. Ken nodded and started for the door again, passing Joe on the way out, Joe himself heading back with his medical bag in hand. Kari frowned somewhat as he approached. She wanted to know what was making her eyes purple, she wasn't looking forward to a needle to do it, though...

* * *

The next morning came quickly for the group. Izzy was probably back at his own apartment going over the blood sample's scan, Ken was hopefully finding out about Alex, and Joe was back to med school classes. TK was thinking it over as he laid on the Kamiya apartment's large sofa, staring up at the ceiling, not moving since waking up. The night before Kari had insisted he go home after everyone else had left, not wanting to trouble him any further. Knowing Kari so well, though, TK could see the worry passed the violet color of Kari's eyes, he had to stay if only for Kari's own comfort. Her parents were out of town, Tai moved out, he wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he left Kari alone after what she went through.

A smell suddenly passed TK's nose, practically dragging him up to a sitting position. He turned in the sofa toward the kitchen, the source of the smell, just now noticing a few noises coming from it. He recognized both now, it was bacon frying, and from the sofa it was easy to see Kari over the stove cooking it. She must have gotten up some time before he did to already be making breakfast. TK stood from his seat, tugging on his clothes, wrinkled from sleeping in them, and stepped over to the counter separating the kitchen and living room.

Kari turned and smiled at him as he approached. For a second it looked like she was wearing the same outfit from yesterday, but it looked like it was a bit looser, more casual. The apron was a change, as well.

"You took your time." She said smiling. "I was going to wake you up but I didn't have the heart to." Kari turned back to the stove, moving the pan of still-sizzling meat to another burner with no heat, turning off all the burners now. TK glanced over and noticed how busy Kari had been, one bowl with the remains of pancake batter was already in the sink to wash later. Two plates near the stove already had a pair of eggs, sunny side up, with a few triangles of toast, just waiting for the bacon, now off the pan and getting their grease removed.

Wait, pancakes as well? TK turned to the dining room table to his right and saw Patamon and Gatomon sitting on top of the table, eating from the same stack of pancakes and syrup as politely as two hungry Digimon could with their bare paws. TK turned back to Kari, who was now opposite TK on the other side of the counter, holding out a plate of eggs, toast, and bacon in one hand, a knife and fork in the other.

"Hope you don't mind eggs instead, I used the last of the pancake mix on their breakfast." She set the plate down on the counter in front of TK, setting the utensils beside it. TK glanced up at Kari, half expecting her eyes to be their normal color again, it would explain her cheerful mood. Alas, they were still deep violet, only confusing TK a bit more.

"Kari, are you sure you're okay?" He asked. Kari hesitated a moment, still smiling, then reached up to his head, rubbing his hair down from it's messy shape into his usual neatly messy look. With his hair tamed Kari retracted her hand, picking up her own plate of food.

"Just sit down and eat." She said cheerfully. TK was hardly one to argue with Kari and picked up his plate and silverware, walking over to the dining room table. He set the food down as he sat in the closest chair, turning back to look at Kari, already doing the same opposite to him.

"Kari, seriously." TK insisted. "What happened between now and last night? Before you went to bed you looked more depressed than I've ever seen you." Kari hesitated picking up her fork as TK asked. She wasn't even sure how to answer, she didn't know herself.

"I'm really not sure." She admitted, now taking her fork in hand. "I just woke up and all the strange feeling I had yesterday were gone, it was like... I understood something I don't even know about." Kari cut a piece of her eggs away with the edge of her fork, then spearing it. As she raised it to her mouth she looked up at TK, who was still looking on confused about her explanation. "Oh... Well, let's just say knowing everything we're doing to find out what it is just relaxes me." Kari let the fork find her mouth and began eating, queuing TK to do the same. Deciding he wouldn't get much conversation until the meal was over, TK followed suit and began on his own breakfast.

The next ten minutes went slowly, and worse, quietly. There was a tense feeling in the air that all four were aware of, and all knew what it was. Kari's eyes were still purple, something was infecting Digimon in the Digital World, and they had a deadly Digidestined. None of them were the kind to just wait for Izzy's tests or Ken's research to come back, either, but it was so much mystery ahead of them everyone was hesitant to bring it up. Like if they kept it to themselves they could have a peaceful morning like any other, no worries, no problems, just the four of them...

"...We need to find Alex today." Kari finally said, shattering the tense air in the room. Gatomon and Patamon both turned away from their now-empty plate to look at Kari. TK did the same, glancing up from his nearly empty plate.

"Why him first when there's so much else to do?" Gatomon asked. TK and Patamon had the same question, he didn't seem like the biggest problem despite how bad he was, not to mention they didn't know where to find him.

"I want to know more about him..." Kari continued. "He couldn't have become a Digidestined if he started out like this, I want to know what could make him change so much... Then there's his two Digimon, and how he found Digitamamon on his own..." The last part hadn't occurred to TK before. They had to be told where Digitamamon was and even then it would have been hard to just stumble onto them being in the middle of a forest.

"I suppose he could have been told the same way we were." TK added. "Who knows how many Digidestined got that same e-mail." Patamon and Gatomon stood, leaving their plate at the far end of their table to join TK and Kari's conversation.

"Izzy and the others didn't know about it when they came over, though." Patamon said. "If it went to a bunch of Digidestined we'd have been told by now." TK's orange partner had a point, even if it went to just a few other Digidestined, it would have gotten back to them one way or another, they would have known.

"What about the two Digimon, though?" Kari continued. "Willis in America is the only one we've ever known with two and those were twins from the same egg. I doubt those two are related, though." Kari had a point there, that was the strangest thing. The obvious answer was that one wasn't a partner, of course that came to all their minds, but that only left them wondering why a Digimon that wasn't his partner would condone such acts...

Before they could continue a familiar beeping came to life in the room, specifically from the top of the kitchen counter. The group looked over at the D-Terminal, signaling a new e-mail coming in, everyone knowing who it was from. Kari stood from the table and stepped slowly to the device, something in her not wanting to answer this one.

"Didn't waste any time today, did he..." Gatomon sighed. It wasn't even nine in the morning yet, at the least they were hoping to have breakfast digested by the time they had to return to the Digital World. Alas it wasn't to be. Kari turned to face the table as she read the text of the e-mail.

"Greetings again." She read aloud. "There's little time, the coordinates are included with this message." Kari scrolled down on the small screen for the rest of the message, but other than a series of digits, there was none.

"That's all it says?" TK asked, now standing from the table. Kari nodded, passing him the D-Terminal. He took it in hand and turned to read the screen, taking in the brief amount of text, then letting a disappointed sigh escape his lips.

"For being so helpful he sure is in a hurry a lot..." Patamon pointed out. TK returned the device to Kari, something still itching at the back of his mind. Two days in a row this strange benefactor caught one of these disturbances quickly... Maybe there was a way of tracking these infected Digimon that he and Alex both knew...

"...TK?" Kari said, breaking his train of thought. "Shouldn't we get going?" TK turned his eyes back to hers, a look of concern obvious in his stare.

"Are you sure?" He asked to her. "After what happened last time, who knows if going back might make it worse, it might happen every time you go between worlds for all we know. Maybe you should stay behind..." Patamon and Gatomon both froze for a moment, neither realizing that. Kari, on the other hand, seemed unwavering.

"You're right, we don't know." She said. "But we know a lot of Digimon will get hurt unless we go, all of us." Kari almost didn't want to say that, TK's voice was filled with concern, it reached every part of her soul... But she couldn't ignore her instinct to help, it was too strong, too much a part of her. TK sighed lightly, knowing his battle was lost. He had to smile to himself over it, though, something in him knew she would give him that answer.

"Well in that case, let's get going." TK finally said. Patamon and Gatomon exchanged a glance before hopping down from the table to the floor, quickly bounding down the hall to Kari's room. TK turned to follow, but stopped as he felt Kari grab onto his left arm from behind. He turned to find her eyes downcast slightly, and only as his turn broke her grip did he realize, her hand had been trembling.

"You're... scared, aren't you?" TK said gently. He couldn't help but be surprised, Kari was always thinking of herself last, it was hard to tell when she had any selfish feelings, but it was obvious here. "...You don't need to put on a show for us, it's okay if you're scared." There was a pause before Kari shook her head in response.

"No, it's not okay..." She said, her voice barely over a whisper. "Whether we like to admit it or not, Patamon and Gatomon are the only ones fighting these battles... They rely on our support and courage to continue fighting, when they know we're scared or weak, they respond to it..." TK hesitated. He didn't disagree but he didn't want to imply it was okay to hide all of this... A silent moment passed before TK stepped closer, placing both of his hands around Kari's waist in a light embrace.

"Kari..." TK's voice softened, down to a whisper now. "They need our support, yes, but it's okay if you need support, as well... That's what I'm here for. Just... let it out..." Another silent moment. It was so easy for TK, this was who he was, but putting others aside, even for a moment with just TK, was against Kari's nature... Eventually her walls broke and a few sobs escaped, her face falling onto TK's chest, drowning out the noise. His arms moved up to her back as she finally let go of her walls, a comforting embrace now.

"...I'm so scared..." She finally admitted. "What if there's something else wrong with me? What if I never get any better? I don't want to be like this for the rest of my life, I can't stand it... I can't even look at myself in the mirror, it feels like someone else staring back at me..." TK's embraced firmed up slightly for a moment before his right arm came back around, reaching to Kari's face, gently lifting it to look him in the eyes, Kari's own eyes watery but not to tears yet.

"Don't worry, we'll get this fixed..." TK said. "And if we don't... it doesn't matter. Brown eyes or purple, you're still Kari Kamiya, the girl I fell in love with... Nothing could ever change that, I promise you." Kari's sobs had slowed and now came to a stop. She only now moved her arms around TK to return his embrace, finding comfort in his support. This, at least in this moment, was all that mattered. For this instant at least, she didn't care what was wrong with her, as long as she was with TK and this moment could be recreated, it really didn't matter. Eventually their embrace had to end, Kari backing up out of his arms, no trembling or fear in her eyes any longer.

"Thanks, TK..." She finally said. "...We better go, they're probably wondering where we went." TK smiled as he nodded his agreement. He offered his hand to Kari, a gesture she quickly accepted. Hand in hand they started off to her room, both assured that this problem would soon be settled.

* * *

The e-mail's coordinates dropped TK, Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon off in the wastelands of the Digital World, in front of a half-buried monitor. Off in the distance in every direction were tall brownish-red mountains, surrounding this whole area, which was covered in massive rocks of all colors and small stone hills, crooked stone ground and deep cracks in the surface, making it hard to tell where they were supposed to go. The atmosphere wasn't helped by the thick, light-grey clouds that filled the sky overhead, adding to the gloom of the area. When everyone had arrived there all eyes turned to Kari, making sure the transfer didn't do anything else to her. To their relief she looked the same, no other changes, though her eyes were still purple. There was an unsaid hope that another trip would restore her, but to no avail.

"At least that's one worry that's passed..." Gatomon said. TK looked around, trying his best to look passed the boulders in the immediate area, but nothing could be seen, no infected Digimon, no Alex... and no mysterious Digimon informer.

"Guess he was in too much of a hurry to meet us this time..." TK guessed. "We're on our own." Those words were somewhat unsettling in such a barren wasteland, but it's nothing they hadn't faced before. Patamon stood on his hind legs and began flapping his wings, taking to the air to have a better look around.

"You know, just once I'd like to see one of these adventures get easier as it went..." Kari said. No response came, no laugh or serious retort. In a way Kari was glad, the tone was too serious to get into such conversation. Her glance turned upward to Patamon, still circling in the sky for some sign of where they were supposed to be. It took a few minutes before he stopped, selecting a point to look at, and another minute for him to point that way.

"There!" He shouted, pointing off to the west-northwest passed a tall cliff in the distance. "It looks like a fight broke out, a big one!" The orange Digimon quickly dropped back to the ground, landing a few feet from TK. Gatomon took the hint and joined him, both knowing the drill at this point. TK and Kari did, as well, both with Digivices drawn and aimed. The familiar light erupted from the two Digimon and the brief moment ended as Pegasusmon and Nefertimon took shape and emerged from the light. TK and Kari shared a quick glance as they replaced their Digivices, both thinking back to their conversation briefly before stepping over to mount their respective Digimon. Once there, the two Digimon wasted no time taking to the air and heading in the direction Patamon pointed out, everyone now getting a view of what Patamon saw, a few lights of various colors and some damage to the rock in the distance.

A few minutes of flight brought them close enough to hear a loud shriek cut through the air, both of their hearts stopping as it passed their ears. They turned to look at each other, but they didn't need to say it, both knew the sound. A Parrotmon, just like the one they saw on the day this all started when they were young. Pegasus and Nefertimon could sense the urgency the sound brought and picked up their speed toward the battle.

At the edge of the cliff the conflict came into view. They had guessed right about the noise coming from a Parrotmon, but what they hadn't expected were the new appendages at various points on it's body. From the tips of his wings, where his wings met his body, and off the top of his back, were tendrils of some sort, with blade-like points on the ends of them, all lashing out at his two attackers. One was a dragon, deep red with large horns and a trail of fire from the back of his head to his tail. The other was a golden griffin with red streaks through it's feathers, but what caught everyone's attention was the boy riding it, wielding a familiar two-toned sword in his right hand.

"How could he beat us here?!" Nefertimon said in confusion. The others couldn't form an answer, it didn't seem like they could have been beaten here with how quickly they were informed.

"...Worry about it later." TK said. "Nefertimon, think you can fight with two riders?" The two girls glanced over at him in confusion, while Pegasusmon didn't need to, he expected this.

"I'm sure I can, but you're not going to be on Pegasusmon?" She asked. TK shook his head as she shifted his far leg over Pegasusmon. Kari held her hand out to him for balance, which he quickly took as he hopped off his own Digimon and onto Nefertimon, right in front of Kari now.

"I can't, he's going to be Angemon soon." TK explained. "His attacks aren't so wild, we can't risk hurting Parrotmon... or Alex." TK hesitated before saying that, but he admitted to himself as bad as his methods were, they couldn't risk hurting him. Humans didn't recover nearly as well as Digimon.

"Then wouldn't it be better if I changed, as well?" Nefertimon asked, now doing her best to look at TK on her back. Again a shake of the head, shooting down the idea.

"Same reason, an Ultimate would be too much." He continued. TK was trying to think this through as fast as he could, it was hard to consider everything going on right now. He turned his head back to Pegasusmon and nodded, signaling him. The winged horse took on a bright gold glow before the aura shot back into TK's Digivice, leaving Patamon in it's place. The glow, however, was soon replaced by a bright white light around the small Digimon.

"Patamon Digivolve to..." A storm of white feathers flew from around Patamon, surrounding him as the light continued to burn brighter. The energy hit it's breaking point and burst in a brilliant flash. When it faded, Patamon was replaced with his angelic human form, his six wings spread wide and golden staff already held for battle.

"Angemon!" TK had watched his partner change into this form for half his life now and it was still amazing to see. The teen broke his momentary daze and looked back at the battle before them. Parrotmon seemed to be holding his own against the two Digimon with Alex, but they were all obviously Champion-level, numbers alone should make this fight easy...

Without warning Parrotmon lashed one of it's jagged tentacle tips at the griffin Digimon, aimed for it's rider. Nefertimon caught the action and fired an attack of her own, a Cat's Eye Beam that ripped through the length of the tentacle. Alex turned to the source of the attack and immediately glared as he saw who it was. He had raised his sword to strike the attack down, but otherwise hadn't flinched.

"I don't need your help here!" He shouted, swinging his sword to his side as if to put the point on his statement. "I told you to stay out of my way!" Angemon and Nefertimon moved in closer, but still cautious, not aware of what the Digimon Alex was riding was capable of.

"We did not come to help you." Angemon stated, his harmonic voice booming, still approaching Alex while Nefertimon kept her distance. "Your methods make you no better than the enemy you fight. Digidestined or not, you must be stopped." Alex stared on at Angemon, his glare unchanged from his words.

"You can't be serious..." He said under his breath, barely audible. Alex shifted on the griffin Digimon's back until he was steady enough to stand, now able to look the angelic Digimon in the eyes, at least if his eyes showed through his helmet. "I know being an angel it's kinda required to have the "holier than thou" attitude, but are you really that arrogant? You're supposed to be such legendary Digidestined and you're blind enough to define good and evil as easily as black or white?" The words didn't seem to phase Angemon. The angelic Digimon stopped his approach, leaving himself room should he need to attack.

"Taking the lives of innocent Digimon is wrong regardless of your causes." He said. "By your decision to-" Parrotmon's attack came with no warning, a lashing tentacle hitting Angemon in the side threw him away, leaving Alex to retake his seat.

"Fool..." Alex muttered simply. "Griffimon, Dracomon, continue the attack." Dracomon needed little encouragement and continued his assault on the mutated Parrotmon. Griffimon flapped it's wings to join in when another red pair of rays shot forth, one glancing Griffimon across the beak hard enough to break off his attempted attack. The golden Digimon adjusted to meet it's new attacker just in time to avoid another attack, an attempted flying pounce. Neferitmon's momentum carried her a fair distance before she could turn and face her opponent again, both stopping in the air, at a stalemate.

The two Digimon continued the stare-down, both waiting for an opening, neither showing any vulnerability, neither wasting time with words. A silent minute passed before both grew impatient and charged at the same time, letting fate decide the outcome. Before they could clash, Parrotmon swooped up from out of nowhere, intercepting Griffimon, forcing the half-bird Digimon to struggle just to keep airborne while grappling with the massive bird. It was everything Alex could do just to keep his grip on his Digimon's mane of feathers and not fall. TK quickly glanced around, seeing Dracomon giving chase to help Alex and Griffimon, only to be intercepted himself by Angemon, holding out his staff to block him. The dragon Digimon gripped onto it, trying to rip it from the angel's grasp, though the task proved to be difficult, Angemon holding on tight.

TK was starting to see the magnitude of this, he never saw a battle being played three ways before. They couldn't let Alex or Parrotmon be hurt, but at the same time they had to stop both of them. This was getting confusing fast, it had to be simplified quick.

"Nefertimon, get Parrotmon away from Griffimon." TK said. "Be careful, though, we don't want to hurt Alex but we can't let him use that sword again." The sphinx Digimon nodded and flew toward the two struggling Digimon, preparing an attack of her own. It took a second for her to realize that with two riders on her back she couldn't emit the light for a Rosetta Stone. That took out her big gun, she'd have to get lucky with the smaller attacks.

"Queen's Paw!" Nefertimon's armor on her front legs began to dimly glow while the gem in each were bright with light. The light burst as she began firing rubies from the gems like a machine gun at Parrotmon. The small crystals bombarded the bird Digimon across the back and wings, drawing a few squalls as it released Griffimon and took off higher to get out of the path of the stones. Nefertimon ceased the attack and turned her attention to Alex and Griffimon, the two just now regaining their balance in the air.

Meanwhile the struggle between Angemon and Dracomon was getting nowhere, neither was strong enough to break the other's grip on the staff, if Angemon were to risk an attack he would need to free a hand and the struggle would be lost. A deep growl came from Dracomon before he suddenly lunged his head forward, jaws quickly opened. Angemon had only a split second to dodge the snap of the dragon's teeth, and as soon as Dracomon brought his neck back he lashed out again, forcing Angemon to move his head the other way to avoid the second attempted bite. The growl came again, louder now as his frustration grew. His jaw opened again, but at the back of his throat now sat a tight ball of bright flames.

"Dragon Blaze!!" Angemon barely had enough time to release his staff and let himself fly down and away as the beam of flames ripped through the sky where he was just a second ago. The opportunity was now there, the angel clenched his fist and brought as much power as he could muster in the split second, throwing his fist up and firing his Hand of Fate beam at the dragon, connecting hard against his jaw. The impact cut off the flow of fire and dazed the dragon, forcing him to drop the golden staff into the waiting hands of Angemon.

While he had the moment he looked back to see how the other half of the battle was going. Griffimon was taking position with Nefertimon waiting for him to make a move. It took a second for Angemon to see where Parrotmon went, above Nefertimon he was making a loop in the air, just now coming down from the top of it. He realized his intent, with how much speed he would pick up Nefertimon wouldn't be able to dodge the attack from behind. By instinct alone Angemon reared back with the staff he had just reclaimed before launching it as hard as he could like a spear, hoping his timing was correct. He watched as Parrotmon came down, looping downward, picking up incredible speed. Just as Nefertimon finally noticed and began to look back, the staff hit it's mark, connecting right at the bottom of Parrotmon's beak, sending the staff spiraling into the distance and the massive bird recoiling from the blow.

Nefertimon saw her opportunity as Parrotmon slowly sank to the ground and turned, firing another Cat's Eye Beam, this time downward into Parrotmon's body. The mutated Digimon hadn't regained it's flight yet and took the blast, getting forced down to the ground and landing against the dry rock below, knocking it out. Nefertimon let up her assault, relieved one enemy was down for now.

Still hanging onto TK tightly, Kari looked around herself now. Off in the distance Dracomon and Angemon were resuming their fight minus the staff, though she knew Angemon could handle his opponent. She looked back to where Alex was, only to see Griffimon's wing quickly approaching them from behind. Kari did all she could and turned back to TK, moving an arm over him and pulling him downward quickly. The wing passed just an inch over their heads and even closer to Nefertimon's, only able to avoid it because of her feline ears.

Alex and his Digimon flew passed, making a wide turn through the air to come back around for anther attack. TK and Kari sat back up, watching his behavior, knowing what was coming. TK took only a second to think it over before leaning forward toward Nefertimon's ear, whispering something into it, too silently for Kari to hear. He sat back as Nefertimon nodded, turning in the air and flying at Alex and Griffimon. He had enough, this needed to end now.

"Kari, hold on tight..." TK said, taking hold of the armor on Nefertimon's back firmly. Kari understood and tightened her grip around TK's waist, not sure what he was thinking of doing. Griffimon and Nefertimon were quickly approaching each other in midair, Griffimon keeping to the side a bit, though, attempting the same wing attack he had just missed. TK glared on, keeping his eye on Alex, smirking as though he was in control here.

Once they were close enough, Nefertimon suddenly rolled upward, a half barrel roll that left them flying upside down out of Griffimon's reach, but not out of TK's reach of Alex. He brought one hand back and balled it into a fist as they quickly closed the gap and in a moment of rage, pushed his fist forward at Alex.

TK felt his arm snap straight, but to his surprise his punch met nothing but air, stopping just before it met Alex's smirking face. TK looked on in confusion, Nefertimon was still going forward but his punch never reached... Suddenly Alex started rising out of TK's upside-down view, meaning... TK suddenly moved his head up, looking back down at the wasteland below and Alex's falling form. He jumped. TK couldn't believe it, he actually jumped just to avoid a punch! Nefertimon finished the roll and TK and Kari adjusted their views to look down, though just as their eyes found Alex, a red object crossed his path and flew off with him. They looked back to see Dracomon flying back, Alex holding onto his back with his free hand, still clutching his sword in the other. TK's eyes widened somewhat in amazement, he didn't anticipate how organized the three might have been...

Dracomon's flight took a sharp turn upward, flying up high above Nefertimon, much faster than Griffimon. TK quickly let his eyes leave Alex and looked back to where Dracomon had been to see Angemon already intercepted by Griffimon, who had just dodged a Hand of Fate and was tucking his wings in for something big while Angemon was recovering.

"Gale Tower!" Griffimon's wings opened and unleashed a tall tornado of wing forward at Angemon. Still recovering from his expended energy, the angel Digimon couldn't do much but brace for the impact. The gale hit hard, though the worse damage came as the wind began pushing into Angemon's six wings, throwing him about in the air, but never out of the reach of the tornado's gusts. The wind spiraled down, eventually pulling Angemon down and face first into the ground, the tornado not letting up, keeping him pinned there.

"TK, above us!" Kari shouted, breaking TK's attention away from his partner Digimon and back up to Alex and Dracomon, who's mouth was filled with a ball of flame. Only then did TK realize what they were doing, Nefertimon couldn't counter an attack from directly above, they were an easy target! Dracomon's blast came hard and fast, it was all Nefertimon could do to dodge to the side and out of the fireball's reach.

Though they thought they were clear, Angemon could have told them differently if the wind would let him up. The attack was supposed to be a beam, not a ball, something was wrong... He watched on as the fireball slowly diminished as it went down, revealing something in the middle as it died out... TK, Kari, Nefertimon, and Angemon all gasped as they realized too late, it was Alex's sword, propelled down by the blast toward Parrotmon. The blade fell so fast they could do nothing but watch as the sword pierced through Parrotmon, vanishing as it went in, drawing a loud shriek from the bird as it's image began to phase and scramble. It only took a few seconds for him to explode in a mass of digital particles, though only the black ones that were it's tendrils rising into the air, the bits that were Parrotmon sinking into the ground, never to be reborn. TK's head slowly fell, looking away from the event. He was disgusted, in Alex and himself. They had failed.

* * *

With the battle over the area had suddenly gone from a war zone to dead silence. Among TK's group the silence was an ominous feeling of failure, another innocent Digimon lost to Alex's blade. Who knows what kept Alex and his pair of Digimon silent as they floated down to the ground, the griffin Digimon reverting into Aeromon as they reached the ground. Dracomon landed and angled his back, letting Alex use the length of his back as a ramp to walk back down to the ground, coming to a stop on the dusty terrain his blade had sunk into when it passed through Parrotmon. He took hold of the handle, drawing it from the stone, not bothering to glance at the data-leaking scar it had left in the ground. He turned his eyes around, meeting TK's glare, his disgust turning to anger. Alex wasn't much happier, it was all he could do to restrain himself now.

"What is your problem?!" Alex shouted. "I told you, this is my fight! Don't you have some school crossing at Primary Village to guard or something?!" TK's glare didn't waver, he was done trying to be nice just because Alex was also a Digidestined. Kari, Nefertimon, and Angemon stood back, but were prepared if things got worse.

"We're not the ones with a problem..." TK said, resisting the urge to yell back. "Why must you do this? Why are you so desperate to kill?" Alex returned TK's glare now, with the sword in hand he decided he could scare TK off somewhat. He couldn't, TK stood in his place, not giving an inch. Alex's two Digimon, both back in their rookie forms, came up behind their partner, with Aeromon flying up behind Alex's head.

"That's enough, we're done today!" He pleaded. "Let's just go home, that's enough fighting." Though TK was too enraged to hear, Kari noticed the gentle voice the bird Digimon had as a rookie, it was hard to believe he was the same fierce fighter they just battled with. Alex kept his glare up a minute longer before raising his sword, flashing the blade at TK's eyes briefly before returning it to it's sheath.

"Fine, another day, then..." He said, turning away from TK. "Aeromon, Chameleamon, let's go home." Aeromon was glad to hear that and followed his partner, and though the red lizard seemed reluctant, he eventually followed as well.

Alex stepped away from TK, but didn't come far as a familiar set of wings crossed his path, blocking him off. He looked up to his left, glaring at Angemon standing over him ominously.

"Nobody leaves this place until we know why a Digimon had to die today." He said, his voice forceful, but still calm somehow. Alex's glare faded as it turned to TK, Kari, and the freshly reverted Gatomon. It fell to his own Digimon beside him, one in the air, one on the ground, the finally back to Angemon.

"...You're lucky my Digimon are more expended than yours..." He said, turning to face TK and Kari. "These 'infections' these Digimon have are more like curses. They're contaminated by a piece of a Digimon named Necromon. The name's appropriate, he's stronger in death than he was alive. That's why you saw talons on Digitamamon and tentacles on Parrotmon, they're literally parts of Necromon." TK began to calm down somewhat, at least they were getting some explanation.

"Let me guess, you have a vendetta with this Necromon that's supposed to justify murder?" TK said sharply. Alex's glare returned again, but with Angemon's overbearing presence, he had to hold back.

"You want your explanation or not?" He lashed back. TK stood silent, holding back any further comments. "...Don't think of me so simply as a killer. Necromon's infection is permanent, if you simply defeat a Digimon and let it revert back into a Digiegg, it would just end up in Primary Village, still infected, still just as powerful regardless of it's level. Would you prefer that?" Nobody had a response. As much as they hated what he was doing, he had fair reason... Surely it couldn't be the only way, though.

"This vendetta..." Kari began, drawing Alex's attention. "What did he do to you to make you resort to killing the Digimon he infects? It must have been bad if you didn't consider anything else..." The final part was mere assumption, but he didn't jump to his own defense, it seemed to ring true to him.

"...You wanted to know why I do what I do, now you know." He said. "You got personal, so the explanations end." He turned and began walking, away from Angemon in case he decided to block his path again. Indeed the angel Digimon looked to TK to see if he should do just that, and after a few seconds, the boy shook his head no, letting him go.

As he walked passed, Alex glanced over to Kari, then stopped. The human girl glanced back, the worry obvious in her eyes. His eyes suddenly turned to a glare, the same cold one he gave Digitamamon before striking him, a look that only increased Kari's concern.

"...W-what is it?" Kari managed to choke out. Alex's glare remained unwavering. His hand rose slightly from his side, coming to the base of his sword's handle, slowly gliding his palm over it's length. As his hand touched the hilt his fingers quickly closed around the weapon, drawing a quick gasp from Kari and an instinctive reaction from TK, stepping around quickly to come between the two. Alex ignored TK, his glare continuing as if he were trying to burn a hole through Kari's eyes.

"...For your sake, I hope those are contacts..." He finally said, emotionless. Kari's expression froze. He noticed the change of her eye color... Worse, did he actually think they were Necromon's doing? Whatever was going through his mind they wouldn't get an answer, Alex continued walking, Aeromon and Chameleamon in tow. TK and Kari continued to watch as he walked off, both unsure how to take that threat...

* * *

The atmosphere was all too familiar for the small group of Digidestined. Another encounter with their strange ally, with Alex, and another Digimon killed needlessly... This time with more to contemplate, though, with Alex's last words ringing in everyone's ears they had far more to worry about.

"...TK, human and Digimon data can't mix... right?" Kari said, her voice shaking slightly. TK brought an arm over her shoulders, holding her close as they walked back to the monitor for the return trip home.

"I doubt it..." He assured her. "Besides, you haven't sprouted any new parts, you're not under anyone's control. He's kind of obsessive, I'm sure he's just used to being suspicious." Kari turned her eyes to TK, smiling slightly as they walked, glad he was so good at reassuring her.

"Um, Kari, TK, we've got a visitor." Gatomon said, herself and Patamon already stopped. TK and Kari followed suit, turning their eyes away from each other and toward the familiar Digimon in front of them, the same trenchcoat-clad figure they met when this started.

"My friends, I am glad to see you are unharmed." He said, his raspy voice somewhat stronger than when they had last spoken. "The ferocity of that Parrotmon had me worried for your well being." TK nodded to him, looking on at him carefully. Something seemed different about him, though, it was difficult for him to place...

"We expected you when we came here, where were you?" Patamon chirped, unable to resist the curiosity. The tall Digimon's attention turned downward at the two smaller Digimon, a somewhat ominous position for them.

"I am afraid I could not meet you here this time, my speed is not what it used to be." He explained. "One of numerous reasons I must trust in you to handle the situations I discover." With his attention turned to Patamon, TK was free to examine him better, what was it that bothered him so much... Then he saw it. At the bottom of his coat, between some of the coat's "tentacles", TK could see his feet. Two of them. When last they met he was missing one leg. It could have easily just healed, though, he still wasn't sure why that would throw him off so much...

Then it struck him, like a bolt out of the blue. Alex referred to Digitamamon's infection as talons, not horns or spikes that TK had assumed they were. They were talons... as in the claws of an animal's feet. Now it made sense.

"...I see your leg has come back to you." TK said, drawing their ally's attention again. He nodded in response, reaching over to open his coat slightly to reveal two legs rather than one.

"I suppose assisting you to keep the peace has given me some good karma." He explained. "This morning I was greeted by my restored leg. Perhaps now the rest of me can at last heal and I shall be able to assist you more directly." TK shook his head, taking his arm off of Kari's shoulders and stepping forward, passed Patamon and Gatomon, who now watched on with curiosity.

"No, I don't think that will be necessary... Necromon." The tall Digimon appeared slightly stunned by the name, while TK's companions were more confused than surprised.

"...You are mistaken, my friend." He said, his voice showing no nervousness or fear. "That Digimon was destroyed some time ago, he is but a bad memory." TK stood fast, though, unconvinced. This he was sure of, he had to be right.

"How can something like Necromon be a memory?" TK retorted. "His parts continue to infect different Digimon... Just as his talons infected Digitamamon. Or rather, his leg did. Isn't that right? That's why he was so much faster than he used to be. And it is odd, after Alex destroyed him, you got a leg back." No answer came, no reaction or response, through voice or body language. Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon all caught on now, it was obvious.

"Well?" Kari now said. "You can prove us wrong. Take off your coat again. Parrotmon was infected by Necromon's tentacles, if you have none, TK will apologize and it will be done." TK glanced back at Kari and smiled, thankful for her intelligence, then returned his glance to Necromon, waiting. A tense moment passed, and eventually Necromon reached for the far side of his coat, his good eye downcast as he tugged at the garment and threw it aside in the same motion. Sure enough, where his shoulders and neck met, two long tentacles slowly unraveled themselves, identical to the ones on Parrotmon, snaking into the air. It wasn't all they noticed, along with his voice his scales even seemed healthier than before.

"...I must say, you are far more clever than I gave you credit for..." He said, turning his glance back up, now a sharp glare and a confident smirk. "Far more clever than that fool Alex... He has aided me without realizing it for years..." Patamon and Gatomon now stood at the ready, in case Necromon tried anything. TK stayed in his place, though, confident he wouldn't, he was still far too incomplete.

"Except I doubt you show yourself to him, he'd recognize you." TK continued, drawing a nod of agreement from Necromon. "Let me guess, you got impatient for him to get your parts back one by one and thought more Digidestined would be just as eager to do what he does." Another nod. Somewhere in his mind TK was starting to feel bad for Alex, his plot for revenge was only helping to restore his old enemy.

"Far more clever..." He repeated once more. "I guess it is a typical villain's mistake, impatience... Still, for a year I was nothing more than a pile of random parts, immobile and helpless, you can imagine once I was mobile how eager I had grown to become whole again." TK glared on at their new adversary. Something was still wrong, Necromon was too confident, he was still missing so much of himself but he showed no unease, what was going on in his mind?

"Still, I guess I should get to business..." Necromon continued. His glance moved away from TK and selected a new focus, Kari, sending a chill down the human girl's spine. "You humans have such complicated data... Far more complex than that of any Digimon, did you know that? So complicated, in fact, that it's nearly impossible to tell if it's changed somehow... There are easy ways, of course... but the less elegant ones are such fun..." The threat was obvious, though what he meant by it they couldn't figure out. Necromon's eye widened from it's glare and began to take on a slight red glow. When the glow became a constant light, it suddenly flared with a deep crimson light.

Kari suddenly gasped sharply, her eyes widening like she had just been shot through the chest. TK, Patamon, and Gatomon all looked over in frightened shock, all noticing the sudden brighter glow to the purple in her eyes. Necromon's good eye flared crimson again and the reaction repeated, the gasp more pained this time, with the shock dropping her to her knees. TK looked on, too scared to think of what to do to help her, his mind in an infinite loop that kept reminding him the girl he loved was in this much pain. Necromon's eye went completely red, a bright light cast from it, drawing another inward gasp from Kari, though this time her eyes clenched shut as the gasp returned as a loud, piercing scream of pain. Kari arched her back, screaming into the sky as if trying to find relief from this, but none came. As she ran out of breath, the pain failing to subside, she collapsed forward, stopping her fall with her shaky hands.

With the scream stopped, TK snapped out of his shock and moved closer to Kari, kneeling down beside her to look her over, still unsure what to do. His fear set in again as his eyes came to Kari's back where two thin, dark purple appendages looked like they were sprouting from her. Kari's now-breathless screaming continued as the appendages grew and pushed farther out of her body, showing that they split into thinner extensions between two thicker ones, which had an extended portion where they joined in the middle, the original part that sprouted. Before TK could even wonder what it was his answer came, the extensions opening up slowly, showing the leathery skin held between them, all held by two long limbs from Kari's back with a joint in the middle, complete with a fleshy spike at the joint. Kari's screams stopped and everything went silent from shock, or in Necromon's case, satisfaction. The silence was only broken by the sound of flapping wings, the dark purple ones Kari now wore on her back...

End Chapter 2

Next: Chapter 3 - Infection

Author's Note: My apologies for the abrupt hiatus, I had family issues to deal with. Now that I return from them, I learn that Takari has been under an attack by someone named Mykan.

To Takari authors. Do not fear or cower to someone hiding behind anonymous reviews with no e-mail listed. He's afraid, he doesn't want to get into a real confrontation, he wants to show how loud he can be, and volume holds little merit online. If you see a review claiming to be a Takari author that he "defeated", delete it, he's powerless and trying to scare you. If you receive a hate-filled review from him, delete it immediately, if not to protect your fics from possible deletion, then for the sake of the Daikari fandom which he is damaging by his actions. He only has power so long as he is allowed to be the bully in this situation. Don't turn off anonymous reviews, do not be afraid of him. Turn on Review Alerts, check your reviews daily, delete his flames and any related reviews, you're the ones with control, not him.

To Mykan. What are you trying to prove? No fandom is any better or worse than any other. There is no point to being so hateful, we're all just trying to have fun here. I write Takari so others can enjoy the same fandom I do, the same way Daikari authors write for their fans. You're trying to be the voice of Daikari, but you show nothing but hateful flames and vicious words meant only to harm and damage Takari authors. What does it prove about Daikari if their loudest spokesman is trying to prove how good the fandom is by hateful rants? Do you want all Daikari authors to be viewed upon that way? I would hope not. If you want to prove your fandom is good, you do it by example, by showing that the couple can have deep stories, clever dialogue, and good chemistry. Not by yelling at other fandoms. That proves nothing.

Mykan, if you want to yell, do not target so many innocent authors, do not post another hate-filled review to this story, you come to me directly. Years ago me and Lace123 did the contest that began the Takari boom, I am the King of Takari for good reason. If you have to take out your anger on someone, take it to the source, take it to me, leave these innocent authors alone. My e-mail and AIM name are in my profile, pick your contact method and prove to me you're serious. Contact me directly. Unlike you, I am not hiding. If you review this fic the same way you did to so many others, it will be deleted immediately, your hate will be silenced. You'll prove nothing except that you're willing for Daikari to be represented by a hateful coward who puts no value in actually showing how good Daikari can be. I don't want Daikari or Takari damaged any further by your actions. You're so eager to fight, take your fight directly to me and me alone. Stop hiding.


	3. Infection

Between Life and Eternity  
By CyberDracomon, King of Takari

Chapter 3 - Infection

There was an immense chill in the air from the events they had just witnessed. Necromon, supposedly destroyed, stood before them, the manipulator of this whole situation, and worse of all, his infectious touch had found Kari. She was still on her knees on the dusty ground of the digital wasteland, still panting from the strain of whatever Necromon had done to her. While Patamon and Gatomon had little alternative but look on in horror, TK remained kneeling beside her, still not sure what to think or do. Meanwhile, Necromon's mouth curved into a satisfied smirk.

"My wings..." He said, looking down at Kari. "How easy this could all be with the power of flight once again at my command..." Necromon stepped closer, reaching out with his good arm toward Kari as if to draw the power out of her. TK stood and put himself between Kari and Necromon, preventing his approach. He was quickly joined by Patamon and Gatomon, both ready for anything.

"You have to go through us first!" Gatomon warned. The thread seemed to fall on deaf ears as Necromon's tentacles took aim at Gatomon and Patamon, both poised to strike like a snake the second they became aggressive.

Suddenly something broke through the air, something that brought their attention back to Kari. She was chuckling... Now up to a sitting position, her newly formed wings stretching themselves out, Kari was watching their actions and had, for some unknown reason... began to laugh at it.

"What an excuse for a macho showdown, this is too good!" She shouted. TK almost had to take a step back... Did Kari actually say that? It barely even sounded like her, even the tone of her voice was different somehow.

"I am inclined to agree..." Necromon said, drawing TK's attention once more, turning back to face him. "Let us end the showdown... Come to me." He reached out with his good arm, his open palm turned up as if to offer her something grand. Patamon and Gatomon looked back, watching her reaction. Kari shifted positions, folding her legs now. She looked up to the sky, holding a finger to her lips, to the two Digimon it looked like some deep-thinking pose some cartoon character would use.

"Hmm... Nah, don't wanna." She said, quickly giving her wings a flap to lift herself off the ground, just high enough to get to her feet. "I wasn't laughing at TK, anyway. It's you that's hilarious, trying to act tough when you've got more pieces missing than a yard sale jigsaw puzzle!" TK turned his head to glance back at her, almost as if to check to see if it was the same girl behind him that was there a minute ago...

"You... you refuse!" Necromon said in surprise. "You are a part of me, you cannot refuse my commands!" Kari smiled innocently at Necromon, starting to come forward. Patamon and Gatomon quickly noticed her feet were no longer on the ground, the wings seemed to work without flapping... She came up behind TK, who still hadn't turned completely to face her, and quickly embraced him from behind, letting her arms hang down across his chest. She moved her head beside TK's to look on at Necromon, still smiling.

"Oh, but watch me do it so easily!" She taunted. "Besides, how could I choose you over something this sexy..." With that she quickly turned her head and gave TK's ear a playful nibble, an action that made TK jerk his head away out of shock. He wasn't even sure Kari ever used the word sexy in her life! Let alone while facing down a Digimon trying to take control of her, now a Digimon who was growing angry at them.

"Of all the insolent..." Necromon's outrage briefly gave way to something in the distance that had caught his attention, turning to face it momentarily before returning his eye's glance to TK. "You are fortunate I am still incomplete... By the time we meet again, our friend Alex will have ensured that I am strong enough to take my wings back by force." Necromon's form suddenly started melting before them, like a plastic figure under a magnifying glass, though much quicker. The dark purple fluid oozed into the cracks under their feet until it had completely vanished, taking only a second and leaving no trace save for the discarded coat still on the ground.

"...What scared him off so easily?" Patamon said, finally managing to break his own shock at the events they had just been a part of. Kari released TK and turned around, looking off in the same direction Necromon had before his departure.

"Oh, Alex and his little henchman are on their way!" She announced. Kari stretched out her arms, then brought her hands together, cracking her knuckles as if eager for their approach. "Guess I get to have some fun after all!" She started off to intercept them, only for TK to quickly grab onto her shoulder, pulling her back and toward the monitor leading home a few yards away.

"Nobody is having fun here..." TK said sternly. "I don't want him to know you're infected, he might be willing to do the same thing to you that he's done to a lot of Digimon so far." Kari folded her arms and resumed smirking, putting up little resistance as TK pulled her to the monitor, Patamon and Gatomon in tow. He quickly retrieved his D-3 with his free hand and aimed it to the monitor, opening the gate that quickly drew them in. By the time Alex arrived the only trace of their presence was a dim glow on the monitor's screen that quickly vanished, and the coat, something that only made him wonder who else was there...

* * *

Kari's computer quickly flared to life as the gate to the digital world opened, the light emitted by her monitor literally spitting TK, Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon back into the real world. Once they arrived, their eyes quickly turned to Kari, nobody sure of what to make of her actions a moment ago.

"...What, you're looking at me like I grew wings or something!" She said innocently before giggling. "Oh yeah, I did, didn't I?" Kari continued to smile sweetly at them as they looked her over, trying to take all of this in... Gatomon in particular was taking her time, being connected to Kari made this much harder for her to cope with.

"...It still feels like Kari..." She said, referring to that connection. "But something's different... It's like half of it is her, half is someone else..." TK raised his hand toward one of Kari's newly grown wings, hesitating before taking a light hold of it. It twitched slightly as his fingers closed on it, but quickly relaxed.

"I figured this would happen, the whole 'is she real?' bit." Kari said, watching TK as he felt the bat-like wing. The wing folded up slightly, breaking from TK's grip, then extended again, the tip moving up to TK's face, just enough to lightly brush against his cheek. The boy took a step back out of the wing's reach, an action that made Kari giggle somewhat.

"Well you aren't acting much like the real Kari..." Patamon replied. "But you still think you are her..." That's what was getting to TK, whatever influence the wings were having, it didn't seem to be complete. Parrotmon and Digitamamon acted completely different while Necromon was infecting them, Digitamamon even sounded like it was the talons infecting him that were speaking.

"Oh, no kidding, Patamon?" She said sarcastically. "Who else would I be? A pair of wings and new eyes and suddenly I'm an alien?" Gatomon was about to answer when TK raised his hand, motioning her not to. This was getting repetitive, she was convinced she was Kari, there was no changing that. They were going at this the wrong way.

"Okay, you are Kari." TK finally said, drawing her attention. "But you have to agree you aren't acting anything like you were a week ago, or even a day ago." Kari moved into an almost mocking thinking pose, a finger to her narrowed lips and a wandering look in her upward-turned eyes.

"Hmm... Oh yeah, guess I am, aren't I?" She finally concluded, looking at TK once again. "Feels like the wings got rid of all my worries about maintaining an image. I'm just acting how I want!" TK didn't press the issue any father, despite not agreeing with it... He didn't want to get pushy and upset her until he was sure how much the wings changed her.

"They did more than that, though..." Gatomon said. The feline Digimon bound up to Kari's bed, turning as she landed to look Kari as eye to eye as she could manage. "How could you tell Alex was coming before we left?" TK and Patamon both mentally kicked themselves, failing to pick up on that.

"Hmm... Dunno." Kari replied. "I felt something coming, and something in my head knew it was Alex." That one gave them all the same idea. Alex had to have some way of finding Necromon's parts, the wings must have felt whatever that method was.

"I could track him the same way if you want!" She continued. "Might solve a problem or two, wouldn't it? Take him and his Digimon out of the picture completely?" TK had to do a double take upon hearing that. Everything else he could chalk up to Kari's inhibitions being removed, now she was saying things Kari would never say.

"...Kari, did you just hear yourself?" Patamon chirped, obviously as taken back as TK. Kari turned and glanced at him curiously, as if she really didn't hear what she said or understood it's implications.

"Well, yeah, I did say it after all." She replied. "I don't mean to kill him or anything, just knock him around until he goes away." TK shook his head in disappointment and frustration.

"Kari, that isn't the point." He said firmly. "We're Digidestined, protectors. We don't pick a fight just to make things easier for us. If Alex were an evil Digimon, fine, but he's trying to accomplish the same goals as us, his method is just twisted. We have no right to simply attack him, and the Kari I know... the Kari I love, would never want to hurt someone like that. Even with those wings influencing you, you should know that." Kari's eyes widened slightly as if the truth was dawning on her. After a tense moment she closed her eyes, casting her head down, away from TK.

"You're right..." She said, her voice sounding like the Kari they were familiar with again. "These wings are messing with my mind, I can't let them control me like that..." TK released a breath he wasn't aware he was holding, a show of relief.

"You're stronger than they are, you have to remember that..." TK said. "We'll find a way of getting them off as soon as we can." Kari lifted her head, opening her eyes once more. She nodded to TK in agreement.

"I won't let them get the better of me again, I promise..." She said, reassuring him. TK smiled, glad to hear the familiar tone of Kari's voice again. The conversation did remind him, though, Izzy or Ken had to be done by now, he needed to get home and check.

"TK, think we should get home?" Patamon said, almost as if reading TK's mind. "We can't get rid of those wings until we know what Izzy found out." The teen boy's glance turned to his Digimon partner, nodding his agreement. Again he turned to look at Kari, a slight worry in his eyes.

"You going to be okay for a while?" He asked. "I'll come back as soon as I check in with everyone." Kari smiled slightly, shaking her head at his question.

"You don't have to worry, I think I'll be okay for an hour or two." She replied. TK stepped closer, drawing Kari into a quick embrace, one she returned as if by instinct. TK turned his head to give her a quick kiss on the cheek as they parted.

"Sure I have to worry, I'm the boyfriend, it's my job." He joked. Kari giggled slightly, nodding in understanding. TK's glance turned to his partner Digimon, who was already taking to the air. "Let's hope for the best, Patamon." He said, starting to walk out of Kari's room. Patamon nodded in response, quickly following after him. The two girls left behind watched them turn the corner, the opening and closing of the front door coming soon after. Kari stepped over to her bed, turning to sit down beside Gatomon, being careful not to hit her with one of her new wings in the process.

"Gatomon, you mind if I get in a nap while they're gone?" She asked her feline partner. "I have a feeling I'm going to need it." Gatomon glanced at her briefly before taking a second to stretch out, pushing her arms and tail out to relieve some of the stress.

"Actually I could use a cat nap myself..." She replied. "I'll curl up on the couch for a while, let you have some time to yourself. I know you haven't had much of that lately." Kari chuckled slightly and nodded to her.

"Go on, you earned whatever rest you can get." She answered. Gatomon turned and hopped off the bed to the floor below, bounding out of the room on all fours. Kari stood from the bed and walked over to the door of her room, lightly closing it. Once the door was shut, she let out another chuckle, this one just for herself.

"Wow, the drama classes paid off after all!" She said happily. Kari turned around and stepped across the room to the window of her room. She took a brief second to unlock it before pulling it open, sticking her head out. Kari looked down, at least ten stories down to the alley between apartment buildings. She didn't need much thought before pulling herself out of the window, catching the air with her wings to fly from her room and begin descending to the ground below...

* * *

TK entered the door of his apartment, stepping in with heavy footsteps. He swung the door closed behind him without turning, and when he heard it shut, he let himself fall backward onto it, letting his head lightly bang against it. He couldn't bother to feel the sting from the impact, his mind was too busy sorting through everything, it consumed his every thought on the walk home. He couldn't even feel the cold bite of the wind outside. He thought it was hard just knowing something was wrong with Kari, he couldn't believe knowing what it was only made it harder on him.

"Patamon, you here?" TK yelled into the apartment. His flying partner usually beat him back home when he was on foot, the advantage of having wings. Upon yelling, the only response that came was some odd pounding sound, almost like glass... TK jumped off the door when he realized what it was, jogging the distance through the apartment's front room and hallway to reach his room. He opened the door to see Patamon standing on the ledge outside the window, wrapped up in his own wings, shivering from the cold. TK wasted no time crossing his room and pulling the window up. Patamon unwrapped himself and darted into the room, his human partner quickly shutting the door behind him. TK turned to find Patamon already on his bed, crawling under the covers and turning around to face TK, still shivering.

"Patamon, I'm sorry!" He said. TK stepped over to the bed and reached out to Patamon, taking hold of him under the blankets. He picked up the hamster Digimon, who was surprisingly cold to the touch, and held him close, an apologetic hug as well as trying to warm him up.

"TK, I doubt it was your fault the window slid shut." Patamon replied. The human boy turned back to the window, glancing around it, then to the floor below it. Sure enough, a length of plastic tubing TK used to prop the window open had fallen somehow. He always did that when he left with Patamon, it let the small Digimon get back in while TK was still a good distance from home.

"It might have been, I did pick that pipe..." TK joked. It drew a chuckle from Patamon, who was starting to stop his shivering.

"Oh yeah!" Patamon chirped. "I almost forgot, I heard the phone ringing while I was out there. I think they left a message on your machine but I couldn't hear who it was." TK mentally kicked himself for missing what was probably a call about Kari. He started off for the main room of the apartment, still holding onto Patamon with both arms. The phone sat on a counter that divided the kitchen and living room of the apartment, and as TK approached it, it was signaling a message had been left. He was in such a rush to check on Patamon it slipped his mind to look.

"Patamon, how about you find something warm to eat while I check the phone?" He suggested. Patamon eagerly nodded at the suggestion, letting TK set him down on the counter before he bounded off to raid the pantry. The teenager turned attention to the phone, punching a button to play back the message, muttering a quick hope under his breath.

"...Hey TK, it's Matt." TK's breath sighed with disappointment as his brother's voice rang through the machine's speaker. "If you're there, pick up... Not like you to be out so late on a weeknight, bro. Everything okay? Anyway, Mimi wanted to invite you and Kari over for dinner, just wanted to know what time was best for you two. Get back to me soon." Not such an unusual message from his brother, he had invited Kari and TK over numerous times since his engagement to Mimi. Oddly enough it was TK's strong relationship that got Matt through the rough spots in his own.

"TK, it's Ken." TK's thoughts broke as the second message came through his ears. "I think I've done all I can on this Alex Ryuujin, it's a little hard to explain on a message, call me as soon as you get this." The answering machine beeped, signaling the end of the messages. TK wasted no time in picking up the receiver, punching in Ken's number as quickly as he could without messing it up. Placing the receiver to his ear, he waited nervously as he listened to the dial tone... One ring... Two rings... Now three... Four... Five... TK's nervousness grew as the idea of Ken not being there crossed his mind.

"Ichijoji residence." The receiver finally said, Ken's voice coming through loudly, letting TK release his tense breath.

"Ken, it's TK, I just got your message." He answered. TK glanced back to Patamon as he spoke into the phone, noticing an empty packet of instant cocoa and his digital partner trying to maneuver in the air over a ceramic mug while holding onto a gallon jug of milk.

"TK, good timing." Ken answered. "I was just about out the door when the phone rang." TK smiled to himself, at least one thing today had some good timing to it.

"I'm glad I did, things got worse..." He answered back, a notable noise of curiosity coming from Ken's end. "The effect on Kari's eyes came from an infection, a piece of a Digimon is literally part of her now... She's back in her apartment now with a pair of purple wings." There was a moment of silence over the phone, a very understandable one.

"...I didn't think merging human and Digimon data was possible..." Ken replied. "If the circumstances were better I'd be fascinated. Maybe Izzy's tests will figure out that part of this problem." That was what TK was hoping for now. His eyes came back to Patamon, now flapping his wings in front of the microwave, watching his mug of cocoa rotate.

"Let's worry about one thing at a time for now..." TK responded, refocusing once more. "What did you find out about Alex?" He could hear a few pages moving around on Ken's end, probably containing what he found.

"Well, I'm not sure it's even him..." Ken replied. "Can you give me a description?" TK hesitated a second, trying to imagine Alex better in his mind... He found it harder than he thought it would be, considering the only times he saw him he was angry at him or battling him.

"Let me think..." TK responded. It took another moment before TK's mental image formed. "He's about my height and age... Short, light brown hair, almost a dark blonde. Blue eyes, kind of pale... He looked American, now that I think about it." That fact almost slipped his mind, the last name Ryuujin was obviously Japanese, it threw him off until now.

"Well it seems to match..." Ken said. "I couldn't find anything about any Alex Ryuujin. I did find a match on the last name, it was on a cached website on a search engine, mostly broken images and links, no way of knowing how old the page was, but it gave some info. The website used to belong to an orphanage." That part came as a surprise to TK, the thought hadn't crossed his mind before. No wonder Alex seemed to always be in the digital world, he had no place in the real world.

"That would explain a few things..." TK replied. "What makes you think this is a match, you said you didn't find anything about Alex Ryuujin." He checked up on Patamon again, who now had his cocoa on the counter beside the microwave, taking a sample sip. He quickly jerked away from it, flapping his wings at the mug, apparently too hot for him to drink.

"I'm not sure there is an Alex Ryuujin." Ken said. "The listing's description fits perfectly, but the name attached to it is Alan Ryuujin, not Alex." That part only confused TK, but of course there were explanations.

"Maybe that's a listing for a brother." He answered. "That's the most obvious thing, right?" From the receiver came a disagreeing noise from Ken's throat, already batting down the idea.

"Can't be sure, orphanages with websites don't usually list siblings." He said. "Potential parents are usually reluctant to separate them, but they simply can't afford to adopt both, either. It damaged the chances of adoption for both of them. Those same websites should still list both children, though, typically a last name is omitted from both in that case. This one didn't." That seemed to make sense, he could easily imagine situations like that... TK glanced once more to Patamon, who was drinking down his cooled down cocoa rapidly. He raised the mug more and more, draining more of the beverage. In his eagerness he started leaning back to get the mug high enough, until he accidentally toppled over onto his back, the mug fitting over his face and his hind legs flailing. TK had to hold back a laugh as best he could. Patamon eventually popped the mug off and sat back up, a chocolate ring around his dazed face. Now there was no way TK could hold back, freely laughing at the sight.

"...TK, is something about all this amusing you?" Ken finally said after a moment of silence on his end. TK took a few breaths, getting out the last of his giggles before attempting to talk again.

"No, of course not, sorry." He said. "Patamon's just being Patamon, that's all... Here's what I don't get. Why would he change his name? Alex and Alan isn't that big of a jump." TK almost looked back at Patamon again, but had to stop himself, knowing he'd only laugh again.

"Why else?" Ken answered. "For this exact reason, to make it harder to find out about him. He obviously wants to be left alone, what better way than adopt a new name. The closer to his original the easier to get used to it." That, again, made sense. TK was starting to realize how good Ken was about this kind of thing, he might made a decent detective someday at this rate...

"What about the sword he's carrying?" TK continued. "Shouldn't that have made it easier?" Again the same noise that usually accompanies a shade of the head, still as bad to hear as it was before.

"When I said a one of a kind item would be easier to find it was with the assumption that someone would know about it other than the owner." Ken replied. "I couldn't find anything about a magnetic sword anywhere, except a few discussions on websites about them saying they would be too fragile or would lose their charge easily." TK sighed slightly, that was their best bet on finding out Alex's, or Alan's, past. As long as he was still hostile he wasn't sure what else he could get out of him.

"Oh well..." He breathed. "Thanks for everything, Ken... Anything else I should know?" TK risked a glance back at Patamon, relieved to see him balling up a paper towel that had cleaned off the chocolate from his face.

"Just one thing." Ken said. "Be careful of that sword yourself. Humans are as much digital in that world as the Digimon, even if you get a minor cut it might be enough to destabilize you... I don't know if you'd be able to recover." That thought hadn't occurred to TK until now... It was so natural to be in the Digital World to him that he forgot he was nothing but data there just like their Digimon... The Digimon killed by that blade didn't even last long after the blade first cut them, what chance would a human have...

"Good advice, thanks..." TK replied. "I better get back to Kari, we need to go over it all before we return to the Digital World." He glanced over the clock, noticing how long it had been. It was almost 4pm now, and he had no intentions of being in the Digital World at night.

"Alright." Ken responded. "Good luck to all of you. I'll talk to you later." With that the call ended, TK removing the receiver from his ear and replacing it on it's cradle. His glance came back to Patamon, who, to say the least, looked less than happy for some reason.

"...Do we really have to go back out in the cold?" He said sheepishly. TK gave it a quick thought. He didn't want to make Patamon fly in the cold after being left in it so long, he was probably just now getting warm... TK turned back toward his room as an idea hit, stepping out of Patamon's sight. The orange Digimon made a quick glide across the kitchen to the front counter, wondering what TK was up to... It didn't take long to get an answer as TK came back, a duffel bag hanging off his shoulder. He guided it by the strap down onto the counter top, quickly undoing the zipper.

"This should work." He said. "I wrapped a blanket around the inside of it, should keep you warm easily." Patamon smiled, standing up on his hind legs and stepping over, glancing inside. It didn't take him long to approve, hopping in the middle of the curled blanket, shifting as he moved down into it to get comfortable.

"Right, so what are we waiting for?" He said, glancing up with a smile. TK smiled back, zipping the bag up about halfway so Patamon wouldn't smother but still keep him hidden. Taking the strap again he hung it back over his shoulder, being careful with it as he turned and headed back to the door, not wanting to keep Kari waiting any longer.

* * *

The streets of Odaiba were busier than usual as TK walked down the sidewalk, the duffel bag Patamon was hiding in swaying slightly as he moved with the crowds. The blonde teen took as much care as possible to keep the passing pedestrians from hitting Patamon as many seemed to hold little regard for what happened to his personal cargo.

A few moments after the crowds got really bad, they suddenly thinned, a surprise to TK. Glancing ahead he could see where many people where stopped, looking at something coming up the other way. The group was so thick he couldn't even see what they were gathered around, just that it was moving, the crowd stepping backward to keep up with it while others came around from the other side, trying to get a better view over or between the people keeping ahead of whatever it was.

"Would you people back off!" An all-too familiar female voice suddenly cried. "You could suffocate a girl at this rate!" TK suddenly held his breath, slightly praying to himself it wasn't who he thought it was... Sure enough as the crowd parted and the path was cleared, Kari stepped out from it, still wearing her new wings, glaring back at them as she walked passed.

"Of all the rude, obnoxious..." Her rant was interrupted as she looked up, her eyes finding TK, her nearly gritted teeth now smiling. "Oh, TK! Didn't see you there!" Before TK could ask what was going on he found Kari quickly approaching him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a fast embrace. TK barely had enough awareness to realize she flew the distance, wrapping his own arms around her waist and forcing her feet to the ground, hopefully to make it look like she had jumped.

"What are you doing outside!" TK said under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear. "You can't let anyone see you with wings and purple eyes, what if someone you know sees you, what if your parents or Tai see you like this!" Kari looked back into his eyes, an obviously false, almost mocking look of sadness in her expression.

"You're not happy to see me...?" She said coyly. "I came all this way just because I missed you!" It was too obvious which Kari was speaking now... The wings must be better merged with her than TK originally thought, it was if it knew how to act to get them to leave her alone. The boy took a second to glance around, open street to the right, open alley to the left... It would have to do. TK pulled Kari to his left, moving both of them into the seclusion of the alleyway. He went a few yards in before stopping, glancing back. A few on the streets gave some odd looks down the small passage but continued on, until eventually nobody was watching. It was probably the one good thing about Kari's flight into his arms, they probably just looked like they were trying to get some privacy.

"Okay, I don't know who you think you are, but you're not Kari." TK said sternly. He waited for an angered response, but instead, to his surprise, he got a mischievous smirk and chuckle from the girl in his arms.

"Sorry, sweetie, you're wrong again." She began. "Everything that is Kari makes me, so I am Kari... just, adjusted." TK was about to respond when he felt Kari pull at him, turning him around and putting his back to one of the walls of the alley, all with relative ease. The child of hope stood there surprised, not knowing the physical changes to Kari would include strength.

"I could show you just how adjusted, TK..." She continued, her tone turning seductive. "I'm usually so reserved... So shy... That could change now, TK. In fact..." Kari moved her head closer, then around TK's head, bringing her mouth to TK's ear. "I think I could be quite the opposite for you now..." The blonde teen couldn't imagine a more uncomfortable situation to be in. Still, at the same time, he would be lying if he said it wasn't tempting...

TK's thoughts were thankfully broken with an odd, yet familiar sound below him... He managed to turn his eyes downward, just now realizing the gym bag carrying Patamon had gotten caught between them, and the sound... TK barely braced himself in time before the bag suddenly inflated from the air of Patamon's Boom Bubble. The force from the nylon bag suddenly becoming an air bag was enough to catch Kari off guard and break her grip on TK. He quickly kneeled down and unzipped the bag to check on Patamon, knowing that couldn't have been pleasant. He was relieved to see that, though stunned, the little Digimon was okay. TK had to remember to thank him when he came to for getting him out of that one. He rezipped the bag and stood up, his stern glare returning as his eyes found 'Kari'.

"If Kari was the opposite of how she is, I would never have fallen in love with her..." He explained. "If you can say something like that, you obviously aren't the Kari I love... Whoever you think you are, I want her back, and I want her back now." For the first time since the wings grew, Kari's expression showed an honest reaction, surprise. A silent moment passed, as if time stopped, before her smirk finally returned.

"Well, since it seems I can't please you any other way..." She said, her eyes cast down. Kari closed them completely, opening her wings as widely as she could. Slowly the leather webbing and thin fingers holding it began to retract into the main limb of the wing, like it was actually reversing it's growth until all that remained were two long limbs from her back. Like the wings before, they also began to return to where they grew from, shrinking back into Kari until they were gone, leaving only the tears in her shirt to indicate they were ever there. TK stepped closer to her as she opened her eyes again, the sincerity in them returning despite their violet color remaining.

"TK..." She said, her voice trembling slightly. Kari turned her head slightly to avoid looking directly at TK out of shame. "I'm sorry... I can't believe what those wings tried to make me do, what they made me become..." Her boyfriend was quick to put his arms around her in a comforting embrace, though she didn't return the gesture.

"You don't have anything to apologize for..." TK said gently. "Those wings made you into that, it wasn't your fault..." Kari remained still a moment longer before finally returning TK's hug, pulling him closer.

"It... It was so bizarre." She explained. "It felt like... I was in control, but my thoughts and actions were changing as I thought them... I didn't want to say or do anything I did, but something made me feel like I should..." TK wasn't completely sure he understood, it was, as she said... bizarre. It wasn't important now, all that mattered was that she was herself again.

"...Don't worry, we'll get rid of the wings and Necromon, I swear it..." TK said. He broke their embrace, Kari now looking him in the eyes again. "We should get back to your place, Gatomon's probably worried sick by now." She nodded, already worried about Gatomon, as well...

* * *

The three stood in front of the door to Kari's apartment, Patamon now on the floor between TK and Kari. There was some confusion about why he left the safety of the now-empty gym bag hanging from TK's shoulder, but the Digimon waved it off as saving himself from embarrassment from Gatomon seeing him that way. Neither understood it, but didn't question it, either. Not knowing what to expect, Kari took hold of the doorknob and let herself back in, the two boys in tow.

"Gatomon, are you still here?" Kari called into the apartment. It took little time for the feline Digimon to scamper around the corner on all fours, standing on hind legs and looking up to them, an obvious worried look across her face. It faded as she realized the wings were gone, but not completely.

"What happened to you!" She shouted. "I was only asleep half an hour and you were gone, even you couldn't have snuck by me in the living room to leave." Patamon stood up himself and stepped over to Gatomon, palms pointed to her, trying to get her to calm down.

"Relax, everything's okay." He said, now just a foot from her. "The wings took over a bit but Kari's got them under control now." Gatomon's eyes widened slightly at the announcement, an entirely expected reaction.

"How am I supposed to relax knowing that!" She said, her slight panic renewed. "What if they go completely out of control and-" Gatomon's rant was cut mercifully short by Patamon's paw, now placed over her lips.

"You relax because you know it's happened and Kari's perfectly fine." Patamon said. "Don't worry about the what-ifs or you'll drive yourself nuts, just have faith in what the four of us can do." Gatomon's expression calmed down enough for Patamon to remove his paw, letting Gatomon smile slightly at his words. TK and Kari watched on, both slightly smiling themselves, just now realizing why he wanted out of the bag. Patamon wanted to make sure it was him that calmed Gatomon down as they returned, knowing she would be upset.

"I hope it was a good rest, we're heading back." TK announced. "Ken found out a few things about Alex, we need to find him. He might know how to remove Kari's wings, or at least how to find Necromon." Gatomon nodded, understanding. She turned and headed back to Kari's room, Patamon quickly behind her. TK and Kari entered the apartment finally, shutting the door behind them, and followed after them.

Kari's room and computer were always a familiar back drop, but going into the Digital World always brought an ominous feeling with the room. Suddenly Kari's personal space was the last bit of the real world they were in before abandoning it for a digital landscape, a feeling only made worse when having such a serious purpose for entering.

"Are you sure you want to come?" Gatomon asked her partner. "The rest of us can find Necromon on our own, it could be too dangerous for you to come to the Digital World infected." Kari shook her head, refusing the thought.

"I can't just stay behind while you three put yourselves as risk for me." She replied. "I wouldn't feel right unless I was there to help however I could." TK would argue the point with Gatomon, but he learned a long time ago how much more importance Kari put on others instead of herself. She was so selfless you couldn't change her mind when she was like this.

"Can't argue it, Gatomon." Patamon said as if reading TK's thoughts. "You know her mind's made up better than anyone." Gatomon smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Can't blame me for trying." She replied. TK took the liberty of activating the gate, and as it came to life, a tenseness seemed to ease from their minds. Maybe it was the comments made before they entered, maybe it was activating the gate itself with no turning back. Regardless, as they left their world, they felt as if their situation had improved just my beginning the effort.

As soon as they entered the Digital World, however, things changed. Their first sight as they stepped foot on the digital ground was Alex, with Aeromon and Chameleamon to his sides, standing with his arms folded, his eyes sharply glaring at TK as soon as they fell upon him. Out of instinct TK and Gatomon both stepped in front of Kari, though neither appearing like they were defending her. They didn't want to give anything away, but what bothered TK was if Alex knew they were arriving here at this moment, or if he had been waiting here this whole time...

"I thought you wanted to stay out of you way." TK said. "Now you get in our way?" Alex smirked slightly, somehow amused by the comment.

"You did it first, this is only fair." He replied. "Eye for an eye and all that..." TK didn't like the cocky tone of his voice, there was something about it that made him worry but he couldn't quite tell what.

"So tell us why you're here." Kari said, now putting up her own front. She didn't want to make it seem like she was being defended, either. "We're kind of in a hurry, if it's not important can you just let us through?" Alex's smirk faded as the glare turned to Kari, as if angered at her interruption.

"Oh, I'll get to you in just a second..." He said, returning the cold glare of his light blue eyes to TK. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised someone as soft as you would harbor a piece of Necromon..." The blonde-haired boy returned the glare, if only to hide his surprise... Did he know about Kari or was he guessing?

"Look, do you see any extra parts here?" Gatomon asked. The feline Digimon hoped she could throw him off whatever idea came into his head. "Nobody's growing new limbs, nobody's out of control. I think that sword's magnet is messing with your head." Alex looked down at Gatomon, then back to TK... and then at Kari. He raised a hand to his neck, reaching into the neck hole of his shirt.

"Actually, I'm just taking a guess..." He admitted. From his shirt Alex drew out a grey chain, thin with something mounted on it, it was hard to make out. He pulled it over his head, letting the mounted piece slide to the bottom of the chain. It looked like a tooth or fang, yellow in color... But the odd part came when it started to rise, pulling the chain tight as it came up, the tip stopping when it began pointing straight out, directly at Kari. Alex moved his arm to the side, watching the fang closely as it was pulled with his arm, but kept it's target. He moved it to the other side with the same result, the fang pointing to Kari. Suddenly any idea of keeping Kari's infection a secret was long gone, a sense of panic replacing it.

"This is a fang from Necromon." Alex explained, moving the chain back around his neck. "It's pointed me to every piece I've destroyed so far without fail... and if your girlfriend's purple eyes are any indication, I doubt it's failed me now." The teen finished replacing the necklace, tucking it back into his shirt. His hand came down, moving to grip the handle of his sword, the realizations setting in now.

"You can be serious!" Patamon yelled. "It's bad enough you've killed innocent Digimon, but you can't kill your own kind!" Alex glared down at the hamster Digimon before drawing his sword, looking back up as he pointed it toward Kari, a sudden dread filling her.

"...I already vowed to rid this world of Necromon." He said. "If it means killing a human... so be it!" TK watched on, unmoved from his stance in front of Kari. It was starting to become all too clear how dangerous Alex was, and just as clear to TK was his mistake of underestimating him...

End Chapter 3

Next: Chapter 4 - The Inevitable


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